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I feel as though I want to leap to the defence of kasha. It is true that the fine and medium grinds of kasha can resemble the glop of hot cereal but they doesn't have to. Don't follow the recipe on the back of the box (if you buy it that way); instead, here is my Basic Kasha Method.
Beat an egg and add the raw kasha to the bowl. While the kasha's absorbing the egg, get out your pot or deep skillet and sauté your onions over a low heat in oil, butter (for a dairy meal), or schmaltz (for a meat meal) until they're deeply caramelized.
Now add the kasha (which should presumably have absorbed the egg) along with your spices (I use black pepper, granulated garlic, and nutmeg). Give it a quick stir over a medium heat, breaking up the lumps with your fork, until it smells toasty, then add 1/2 to 2/3 of the amount of liquid that the back of the box calls for (I usually use water with a splash of soy sauce for saltiness and colour, but you could use stock). Cover, turn heat down again, and walk away.
Check back in 20-30 minutes, and you should have a nice, light, grainy mixture which you can toss with a fork, like couscous. If it seems to need it, you can throw in another 1/4-1/3
cup of water and let the residual heat help the grain absorb it, or not--if you like the texture now.
Mix with bowtie pasta AKA farfalle that you've cooked separately and, voila!, kasha varnishkes.
Posted by Shayna Kravetz
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A