Kasha Varnishkes (aka buckwheat and bow tie noodles)
1) recipe
2) backstory
3) word nerdery
Recipe
Main Ingredients
1 cup Buckwheat (kasha)
1 egg
2 cups chicken stock (or veggie, or water)
1 onion (many folks recommend at least 2)
2 cups bow tie noodles (or other pasta)
Other Ingredients
water to boil pasta
oil/butter for frying (if I had chicken fat, I'd use that)
salt
pepper
garlic
mushrooms (and any other mix-ins, eg cilantro)
cheese to sprinkle later
most of the ingredients
steps (I numbered them, then decided it wasn't needed)
- Mise en place, make sure you have all the ingredients you need !
- in a largish bowl, beat the egg, add the raw kasha, stir so K is all coated with E, let it sit
- put water to boil for the pasta (salt, no oil)
(when the water is ready, add the pasta)
- chop the onion/s, and separately the mushrooms, etc
- in a large sauce pan (in the end everything will go in it) fry the kasha (no oil), for about 5 minutes until you can smell the nuttiness, and the egg is absorbed/fried/dried. Stir with a wooden spoon as you go, breaking up clumps
- when it is good, transfer the kasha to a clean bowl.
- in the same pan, saute the chopped onion in whichever fat/s, add s&p to taste (folks recommend a lot of pepper, I am always go for not-so-much)
(at some point start to heat the soup stock, we want it to boil when the sauteing is done)
pasta (about to boil), stock (should be covered), onions
(at some point add the mushrooms, etc to the onions, and saute them together)
(at some point pasta is ready, drain it, and let it sit)
- the onions should get nicely browned (I am so impatient here)
- add the kasha (to the onions), and pour the boiling soup stock into the mix (add a square of butter for extra flavor
(optionally more salt and pepper now)
- stir, bring back to a boil, lower to simmer, cook 15 minutes (or as needed) until liquid is absorbed
- mix in the pasta and enjoy
(and sprinkle on the cheese, if you want)
good cold also.
There are versions and variations to be found online.
- cook mushrooms separately so they don't absorb the oil
- add frozen peas near the end of cooking
- when kasha is cooked, wrap the pot in a big towel and let it sit at least 15 minutes
- etc
Backstory
I was craving this dish, which obviously I've had before, but I don't think I've ever craved before. Or made it myself.
None of the local supermarkets had kasha (what ?!), so Lisa & I made a culinary excursion to Marina's Deli and got some assorted goodies, including syrniki, which inspired Lisa to make some herself. But that is her story to tell.
I looked up many recipes online, including YouTube videos, and there are many conflicting opinions, you can check it out yourself if you are curious.
I didn't have any soup stock or bouillon, so I cooked the kasha in water. It was much easier to boil in a kettle, rather than to try to time soup stock so it is ready, but not over-boiled when needed. It came out nice, but too bland. These photos are my 2nd try. It was much better, but perhaps too oily.
Let me say, one perhaps important note. If you are going to make this as a "Jewish dish", chicken and butter are meat and milk so (for those who care about that) they are not kosher together and should not be used in the same meal.
Things to try for the future:
- saute onions more so they are properly browned
- use less oil/butter, and if I have schmaltz ... (but I said that already)
(but there is a saying "You can't ruin kasha with too much butter")
- many recipes call for smaller and/or egg-pasta bow ties, so maybe that
- or small shells pasta
- peas sounded interesting
- make it vegan with liquid-from-canned-chickpeas (instead of egg) + veggie stock + no butter
However, I think my craving is satisfied, so it may be quite a while until I make another batch.
Word Nerdery
Literally "kasha" means "porridge", but usually buckwheat porridge, hence, anything buckwheat.
"Varnishkes" literally means dumplings, so the dish was originally buckwheat filled dumplings.
"buckwheat" is not actually a kind of wheat or a grain. It is a "pseudo-grain" and is gluten-free.
(but the pasta I use isn't)
