How to Cook Kasha (Toasted Buckwheat)

It's interesting... I didn't care for it plain, but my Eastern European friend tells me I need to have HERS because it's better mixed with vegetables and tomato paste... or cooked like risotto. I think the toasted flavor was too much for me - so I'm game for trying raw buckwheat groats. And for soaking them overnight (like overnight oats) for a sweet, nutty, hearty breakfast. 

Ingredients: 
1 cup, toasted buckwheat or kasha
2 cups water, can substitute 1/4 cup with broth
salt

If you’re watching this, you probably already know about the nutritional properties of kasha, so I won't go into that. Cooking toasted buckwheat is just like cooking rice. First, we’ll cover the soft way. This gives the kasha a soft, almost porridge consistency. Use a 2-1 ratio of liquid to grain. So, 2 cups of water to 1 cup of kasha. 

Bring water/broth to a boil and add in the kasha. Bring it back to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest setting possible, so the ingredients only simmer. Let this sit, covered, for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, all the water is simmered off and your kasha is done! 

For a less mushy consistency, try 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of kasha, using the same method as before, except cook it for only 8 minutes instead of 10. 

Here, the grains are more defined and less mushy. It’s sort of like risotto now. 

If you want the grains even MORE defined, try using just 1 cup of water to 1 cup of grain and let it simmer until the water is evaporated, which should be 6-7 minutes. 

I’ll be honest - I did not enjoy this. The kasha flavor is very strong and the texture was not for me. To be fair, I did not grow up eating anything like this. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try it - it’s worth finding a way to enjoy it because it is so healthy. 

It's worth trying raw buckwheat groats, which is the same seed, but not toasted, cooked the same way. 

It's also worth trying soaking buckwheat overnight like overnight oats. Soak half a cup of buckwheat in 1 cup of milk (any kind), with 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, honey or other sweetener to taste - overnight. In the morning, add fruit, dried or fresh, and nuts. The seeds are soft, but not mushy. A steady breakfast for controlling blood sugar and hunger throughout the day.