Millet Kasha (Пшённая каша)
A
re millets just for the birds? Those who don’t like millet kasha would quickly agree, but this tiny grain is still consumed in large quantities by humans in several countries including Russia. Millet grains prepared for human consumption are light yellow in color with their outer layers removed. They cook very quickly thanks to their small size. It is important to thoroughly wash millets before cooking to reduce the potential for bitter taste. There are different ways of cooking millets. In this recipe, the grain is briefly boiled in a large quantity of water that is subsequently removed and replaced with milk. The millet kasha is then allowed to slowly simmer until the milk is absorbed. It can then be served with butter and onion, fresh or sautéed. Sometimes millet kasha is mixed with buckwheat kasha after cooking; this is something worth trying. As we mentioned in our article on kashas, this Russian word is used to describe any kind of cooked grains and not just buckwheat. Russians sometimes even call anything that resembles porridge, edible or not, kasha.
Ingredients
- 1 cup millets
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- Salt to taste
- Butter
- Onion (optional)
Directions
- Inspect the millets and remove any dirt and unhusked grains (can be challenging – they are tiny!)
- Wash the millets in water many times, about 7-10 times
- Add at least 3 cups of water, or more, and boil for no longer than 3 minutes. If the millets start bursting and their volume grows (which happens quite rapidly once it starts), you’ve cooked them for too long!
- Quickly pour off the water; there is no need to strain the millets. Just get rid of as much water as you can.
- Add the milk, bring to boil, and let simmer, covered, until the milk is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve with butter or optional chopped onion. You can sauté the onion in butter if you prefer.
| Millet Kasha (Пшённая каша) |
- 1 cup millets
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- Salt to taste
- Butter
- Onion (optional)
- Inspect the millets and remove any dirt and unhusked grains (can be challenging – they are tiny!)
- Wash the millets in water many times, about 7-10 times
- Add at least 3 cups of water, or more, and boil for no longer than 3 minutes. If the millets start bursting and their volume grows (which happens quite rapidly once it starts), you’ve cooked them for too long!
- Quickly pour off the water; there is no need to strain the millets. Just get rid of as much water as you can.
- Add the milk, bring to boil, and let simmer, covered, until the milk is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve with butter or optional chopped onion. You can sauté the onion in butter if you prefer.
Russian name: пшённая каша
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