Kasha

Kasha a Russian term which is an approximate equivalent to groats. It refers to a wide range of (mostly stiffish) porridge-like dishes, of which the best known are those made with buckwheat. Their versatility is explained by Lesley Chamberlain (1983): ‘The various forms of kasha give it a place at every meal of the day—sweet in the morning and before bed, savoury to accompany soup or fill pies or pad out the main meal of the day.’

The same author describes how the washed grains are cooked in salted water until the liquid is absorbed, the technique resembling that for making a risotto, and that the traditional way of serving such kasha is with plenty of butter. She also mentions a way of serving it which Urbain Dubois, the famous 19th-century French chef and author who worked in Moscow for a time, devised; this involves nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Other ways of presenting kasha include with fried chopped bacon, or fried onions, or chopped hard-boiled eggs. A version with cooked mushrooms and sour cream was called Dragomirovskaya kasha after General Dragomirov who helped defend Russia against Napoleon.