🟡 Preview — not yet kitchen-tested. Recipe version 1.1 (15 Oct 2026) · Draft formulation — uncooked · Kitchen tester: not yet assigned · Video: technique demonstration (different recipe)

🍄 Гречана каша з грибами · hrechana kasha z hrybamy (buckwheat with mushrooms; buckwheat is often called hrechka)

Nutty toasted buckwheat with browned mushrooms and onion. Buckwheat is an everyday staple across Ukraine, and buckwheat with mushrooms is a well-loved combination.

Kitchen Monk adaptation. 🔄 What we changed: no oil or butter; the mushrooms and onion are softened in water; white beans are a Kitchen Monk addition that turns a side dish into a fuller meal.

🍽️ Serves 4 as a main (about 1½ cups each; to be measured in testing) · ⏱️ Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min · Rest 5–10 min · Total about 40 min
🍳 Equipment: medium saucepan with a tight lid, large frying pan, fine sieve

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 cup (170 g) dry toasted buckwheat groats (often labelled “kasha” or “roasted buckwheat”)
• 2 cups water for the buckwheat, plus a little for the mushrooms
• 300 g mushrooms (cremini or white button), sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white beans (about 350 g), or one 15-oz can no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or dill
• Black pepper, to taste

🌾 Which buckwheat? Toasted groats are brown and smell nutty; they are the usual choice in Ukraine and hold their shape well. Raw groats are pale green, cook faster and turn mushy more easily: if that’s what you have, use 1¾ cups water and check at 10 minutes. Buckwheat flour and cream-of-buckwheat cereal won’t work here. If your package directions differ, note it.

👩‍🍳 Steps

1. Rinse the groats in a sieve under running water and drain.
2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in the saucepan. Add the groats, return to a boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12–15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and small holes appear on the surface.
3. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5–10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. The grains should be tender and separate, not mushy.
4. Meanwhile, put the onion and mushrooms in the frying pan over medium heat with 2–3 tbsp water. Cook 12–15 minutes, adding water a spoonful at a time when the pan looks dry, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, it has evaporated, and they are browned at the edges.
5. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the beans and stir until warmed through.
6. Fold the mushroom mixture into the buckwheat with the herbs and pepper.

💡 Troubleshooting: mushy? Use less water or a shorter cook next time, and don’t stir while it cooks. Water left in the pan? Cover and cook 2–3 minutes more. Dry or bland? Spoon over mushroom gravy.

🍽️ Serve with: creamy mushroom gravy, a cabbage or beet salad, or a spoonful of tangy dill cream.

⚠️ Allergens: none of the major allergens in this formula. Buckwheat is not related to wheat, but packaged groats may be processed alongside wheat; this recipe makes no gluten-free claim.

🔁 Substitutions: none tested yet.

🧊 Storing: cool promptly, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3–4 days. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, until steaming. ❄️ Freezing is likely to work for cooked buckwheat but has not been tested with this recipe.

🎥 Technique demonstration

This video by Кулінарний гід shows buckwheat cooked with mushrooms, onion and carrot. It is a different recipe: the cook fries the vegetables in oil and adds salt. Use water instead of oil, leave out the salt, and follow the ingredients on this page. The creator has not reviewed or endorsed this adaptation.

🛒 Shopping checklist

• ☐ Toasted buckwheat groats (kasha): 1 cup (170 g); a 1-lb bag is common
• ☐ Mushrooms: 300 g (about 10 oz)
• ☐ Onion: 1
• ☐ No-salt-added white beans: one 15-oz can (or 2 cups home-cooked)
• ☐ Garlic: 2 cloves
• ☐ Fresh parsley or dill: 1 small bunch
• ☐ Black pepper (check your pantry)

🖨️ To print: use your browser’s Print command (on a phone, tap Share or ⋮, then Print).

🌱 Kitchen Monk Standard: no added salt, oil or refined sugar. Part of The Ukrainian Flourishing Table™ · kitchenmonk.org · Corrections welcome: rfjeep@gmail.com · Last reviewed 15 Oct 2026.