How to cook buckwheat: a complete guide to how to cook cereals. How to cook buckwheat by steaming

Buckwheat porridge is a dish familiar to everyone since childhood, which can rightfully be called the “queen of porridges”, since it is very tasty and nutritious. But does everyone know how to cook buckwheat properly? Most will say that it is very simple and does not require much effort. And it’s true, it’s easy to cook buckwheat porridge, but in order to make it as tasty and healthy as possible, you need to know certain rules. And then this dish will rightfully become one of the most favorite among all family members.

So, how to cook buckwheat? It is necessary to strictly observe the water, which should be 1 to 2 (one part of buckwheat to two parts of water). The groats must first be sorted out, because foreign impurities are often found in it, and then thoroughly rinsed with cold water. The pot should be tightly covered with a lid, because the porridge is cooked due to the steam generated inside. In general, when answering the question of how to cook buckwheat properly, it should be noted that some housewives stir buckwheat porridge during cooking, open the lid or add water - this is a mistake that leads to a loss of taste! You can boil buckwheat in water or milk. Most often, the milk variant is cooked for children, although many adults also like milk porridge. However, it is believed that in order to preserve nutrients, it is best to boil porridge in water.

In total, buckwheat should be boiled for 15-20 minutes, until the water is completely evaporated. Moreover, before the water boils, in the first few minutes the fire should be strong, after which it must be screwed on and the porridge should be cooked over low heat. You should not overexpose the porridge on the stove - in this case, firstly, it loses nutrients and vitamins, and secondly, it becomes much less tasty. The widespread opinion that buckwheat porridge needs to be cooked for a long time is erroneous, because it goes back to the time when this dish was cooked not on a modern stove (gas or electric), but in a Russian oven, so the cooking process was much longer .

After the porridge is cooked, you can put it in a warm place (for example, under a blanket). In this case, the porridge will “ripen” a little more without overheating on the stove, and besides, it can be kept hot until served. It is interesting that buckwheat porridge can be both an independent dish (or a side dish), and serve as the basis for the preparation of more complex culinary delights, for example, buckwheat cutlets and casseroles. In such dishes it is very good to use the porridge that has stood in the refrigerator for several days. It is known that buckwheat porridge is very useful for those who want to increase the level of hemoglobin in the body. However, few people know that a freshly cooked dish is much better suited for these purposes. By the way, milk, with which this porridge is often consumed, promotes the absorption of nutrients from buckwheat, so freshly brewed porridge with milk is an excellent option for children and adults. At the same time, as already mentioned, it is better to initially boil buckwheat in water, and add milk to it before serving.

Speaking about how to cook buckwheat properly, one cannot fail to mention cooking utensils. A metal pan (not enameled!) with thick walls, a convex bottom and a tight-fitting lid is best suited for making porridge. Such utensils for cooking contribute to the fact that the porridge is evenly boiled and swells.

Today, buckwheat porridge is perceived by the majority as a side dish for meat (and sometimes fish) dishes. However, a well-known culinary writer in his book “Secrets of Good Cuisine” urges everyone to stop perceiving it as a side dish (in his opinion, salads are suitable for a side dish, but not cereals) and start using it as an independent dish. And for this you need refueling. What can serve as a refueling? Butter, finely chopped eggs (previously hard-boiled), onions and dried mushrooms. Despite the fact that this option is rather unusual, the result is a very tasty and unusual (how appropriate the word “unusual” for buckwheat) dish, so you should definitely try it!

Our ancestors began to use buckwheat in the X century. Then it was called "black porridge", as it was mainly eaten by the poor. The unique organoleptic qualities and useful properties of the product were appreciated much later. Today, buckwheat porridge is desirable on the table in any home, and supporters of a healthy diet are especially fond of it. People who want to lose weight cook it on water. In the same way it is made for a side dish. Knowing how to cook buckwheat on water in a saucepan is necessary for every housewife.

Types of buckwheat

Buckwheat goes on sale in several forms.

Nucleus. This type of buckwheat is whole grains, steamed and peeled. Such cereals are ideal for making crumbly cereals, side dishes.
Prodel (or cut). This is crushed buckwheat. It looks less appetizing and less healthy compared to the core, but it cooks much faster. Smolensk groats, which are finely crushed prodel, can also be attributed to this species. Chopped is suitable for making viscous cereals, casseroles. It is added to meatballs, they make krupenik out of it.
Buckwheat flakes. This is specially prepared or flattened buckwheat, sometimes not even requiring cooking. She is chosen when you need to cook breakfast in a hurry or you need to make a side dish at work where there is no stove. Useful properties in buckwheat flakes are much less than in whole grains or even in the prodela.
Buckwheat flour. Pancakes, pancakes and other similar products are made from it. It itself does not contain enough gluten, so it is always supplemented with wheat flour.
. This product began to appear on sale relatively recently. This is almost completely unprocessed cereal. It is prepared a little longer than the core, but is considered more useful. It is she who is chosen by supporters of a healthy diet, especially those who want to lose weight.

On the water, you can boil the core, and did the green buckwheat. The finished dish can be served separately or served as a side dish for meat dishes.

Features and stages of preparation

To get tasty and healthy buckwheat porridge, you need to know the technology of its preparation.

At the first stage, buckwheat is sorted out, since cases of blackened grains and even pebbles getting into the package are not such a rarity.
The second mandatory manipulation is washing buckwheat. This can be done in two ways. One option: pour buckwheat into a bowl, add water, rub the grains against each other, drain the cloudy liquid. The manipulation is repeated until the liquid drained from the cereal remains transparent. Another option is to put buckwheat in a sieve and hold it under running water.
To better reveal the nutty notes inherent in buckwheat, it is often heated in a dry frying pan (until crackling is heard). This step can be skipped.
Prepared buckwheat is poured with water, salted, brought to a boil and simmered under a lid for 10-30 minutes, depending on its type. Then the pan with buckwheat is removed from the fire, wrapped and left for the same time. Stirring buckwheat during cooking is not recommended.

Recipe for the occasion::

In order for buckwheat porridge cooked on water to be crumbly, it is necessary to correctly observe the proportions and cooking time of this dish.

Proportions

The proportions of water and cereals and cooking cereals are usually indicated by volume. The optimal ratio of buckwheat and water will depend on the type of cereal.

When cooking unground kernels, two glasses of water are taken per glass of cereal.
If chopped cut is cooked, water can be taken 10-20 percent less. That is, a glass of prodel will require a little more than 1.5 glasses of water.
To prepare green buckwheat, you will need a little more liquid than to cook a core. The optimal ratio is 1: 2.5.

How much water to take for the preparation of buckwheat flakes, the manufacturer indicates on the package. Cooking them is often not required, just pour boiling water and wait.

How much to cook

The cooking time of buckwheat is also determined taking into account its variety.

The core is boiled for 15-20 minutes after boiling, then the same time is insisted, wrapping the pan.
Prodel will be ready in 7-10 minutes, but after that it will also need to be insisted for about a quarter of an hour.
Green buckwheat is boiled the longest - 25-30 minutes, but if it is soaked in water for 15-30 minutes, then it will only take 15-20 minutes to cook, that is, as much as the core.

The exact cooking time of buckwheat will depend on the size of the grains and the intensity of heating.

Buckwheat porridge on the water

buckwheat (unground kernel) - 0.2 kg;
water - 0.5 l;
universal seasoning, salt - to taste;
refined vegetable oil - 20 ml.

Cooking method:

Sort, rinse buckwheat, pour into a saucepan. Pour the cereal with clean water, add salt.
Place the saucepan on the stove, bring the contents to a boil over medium heat.
Add oil and seasoning, stir. Turn off the fire. Cover the saucepan with a lid.
Boil buckwheat without stirring for 20 minutes. Remove from stove.
Wrap the pan and wait a quarter of an hour for the grits to absorb the remaining liquid and steam even better.

Buckwheat prepared according to this recipe can be served as a side dish and as an independent dish.

Buckwheat porridge from prodel on the water

buckwheat (done) - 0.25 kg;
water - 0.5 l;
salt, sugar, butter - to taste.

Cooking method:

Rinse the buckwheat, fill it with water, while adding a little salt and sugar.
Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil. Cook the porridge for 10 minutes over low heat under the lid.
Add oil, stir the porridge.
Remove the pan from the heat, wrap it in a towel and leave it like this for 15 minutes.

Porridge prepared according to this recipe will be a good option for a healthy breakfast. It will be even tastier and healthier if you supplement it with dried fruits. You can add them at the same time as the oil.

Green buckwheat on the water

Cooking method:

Buckwheat, after sorting and washing, place in a saucepan, fill with cool water and leave for 20 minutes.
Add some salt and put the pot on the fire.
Boil buckwheat for 20 minutes after the water boils.
Remove the pan from the stove, wrap it well and wait another half an hour so that the buckwheat has time to reach readiness.

This simple recipe will surely be appreciated by supporters of a healthy diet.

Sort out the cereal. Even if you buy an expensive product, there is a chance that it will contain plant debris. So do not be too lazy to look through the buckwheat and remove all foreign elements.

Step 2

Wash the buckwheat. It is enough to do this a couple of times under running water until the liquid becomes clear.

Step 3

Ignite the cereal in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly. This is necessary so that the buckwheat is crumbly and more fragrant.

Set the fire to a small one and do not overdo it: as soon as you feel a pleasant buckwheat aroma, proceed to the next step. As a rule, 3-4 minutes is more than enough.

Step 4

Put the cereal in a saucepan with salted water. Water should be twice as much as buckwheat. In order not to be mistaken, use the same measuring cup for cereals and water.

The best option for cooking buckwheat is dishes with a thick bottom. It provides the optimal amount of steam, which is responsible for cooking porridge.

Step 5

Bring the water to a boil and remove the foam with a slotted spoon. Then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Boil buckwheat for 12-20 minutes. At this time, it is better not to open the pan and do not stir the porridge. Otherwise, you can violate the temperature regime.

Step 6

Check the readiness of buckwheat by running a spoon along the bottom. If there is no water there or the porridge already sticks to it a little, then it can be removed from the stove.

Step 7

Add a piece of butter or ghee to the buckwheat. Then cover the pan with a lid, wrap with towels and let it brew for 15-20 minutes. So the porridge will be even more tender.

Step 8

Enjoy!

To speed up the cooking process, soak buckwheat a couple of hours before cooking. It absorbs water and cooks much faster.
Cooking buckwheat porridge in milk takes 10-15 minutes longer than in water. You can also boil buckwheat in water, and only then add warmed milk to it and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.
If you cook porridge in, follow the same sequence of steps as with the traditional method. The mode you need is "Buckwheat". If not, try using the "Rice" or "Milk porridge" modes.

Do you know other secrets of making perfect buckwheat porridge? Tell us about them in the comments.

Buckwheat is a unique product that is simply indispensable in our diet. It is inexpensive and at the same time useful, and with at least a small degree of culinary skill it is also very tasty, which is why buckwheat diets and fasting days on buckwheat are so popular. This cereal is perfect for those who monitor their weight and health in general.

Buckwheat contains a large amount of nutrients, especially a lot of iron, phosphorus, calcium and iodine. Buckwheat also contains a number of vitamins: B1, B2, B6, PP, P. Being a complex carbohydrate, buckwheat is digested for a long time by the body, thereby prolonging the feeling of satiety. In addition, buckwheat is very useful for digestion and helps cleanse the liver, as well as strengthens capillaries and helps fight mild depression.

To make buckwheat even tastier, you can use various side dishes. So, mushrooms, meatballs, stewed beets are perfectly combined with buckwheat porridge. You can just add sugar to the finished buckwheat. Then you will get classic buckwheat porridge, but very tasty and incredibly healthy.

From this article you will learn how to properly cook buckwheat and observe the right proportions. We will tell you how to cook buckwheat in water and milk, and also describe simple and affordable ways to cook buckwheat in a microwave and a double boiler.

Classic buckwheat recipe

Measure the required amount of buckwheat, about a third of a glass per person. Sort the cereal and remove debris from it. Then rinse it thoroughly.

Transfer the cereal to a saucepan, pour the required amount of water there and salt to taste. Water should be twice as much as cereals. After boiling, reduce the gas to a minimum and cover the pan with a lid. It is important that the required temperature is established inside.

After 10-15 minutes, check the buckwheat for readiness. The cereal should be soft and crumbly, the water should evaporate completely. Usually buckwheat is cooked for about 20 minutes.

When the buckwheat is ready, put 50-60 grams of butter in the porridge and mix. Then the porridge will be soft and rich. Enjoy your meal.

Buckwheat: calories and nutritional value

Cooking buckwheat in milk should be the same as in water. The main thing is to ensure that the milk does not boil away during cooking. You can first boil the cereal in water, and at the end add milk and cook for another 5-7 minutes. You need to cook cereals until the milk is completely digested. Then the porridge will be rich, tasty and soft.

In what proportions to cook buckwheat?

Buckwheat is cooked based on the proportions of 1x2. So, a glass of cereal must be poured with two glasses of water or milk. To cook delicious buckwheat porridge, you must remember that the volume of cereals doubles during cooking.

Therefore, carefully calculate how much buckwheat you will need. So, one glass of dry buckwheat is enough for three servings, and half a glass is enough for two people.

In order for buckwheat to cook faster, you can, after washing the groats, soak it for several hours. The cooking time is thus shortened by about half. This method is very convenient for housewives. So you can soak the cereal overnight, and cook it in the morning. The cooking process will then take quite a bit of time.

For cooking buckwheat, be sure to use a pan with a thick bottom. This will allow the steam to accumulate and be held inside. But it is steam, and not water itself, that is most important for making delicious buckwheat.

It is important to measure water with the same glass as the cereal. Then you can keep the proportions of water and cereals in the dish.

To make buckwheat more crumbly, you can pre-calcinate it in a cast iron. However, you need to carefully monitor that the buckwheat does not start to "shoot" from too high a temperature.

Buckwheat porridge with mushrooms

Do not put the oil during cooking, as it is digested and forms harmful enzymes. Porridge will be tastier if you add oil to ready-made crumbly buckwheat.

It is also more useful to cook buckwheat with water rather than milk. It is better to add milk to ready-made porridge, preheating, or in the last minutes of preparing porridge.

When cooking, buckwheat is not supposed to interfere. This reduces the level of steam inside the pot. And accordingly, it increases the cooking time of buckwheat.

To test the readiness of buckwheat, carefully lower the spoon into the pan and run along the bottom. If the cereal began to stick a little to its surface, then the porridge is ready.

Uzbek buckwheat pilaf

When the buckwheat is ready, it is better to combine it with oil, cover with a towel and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Groats will become soft and tender, and buckwheat porridge will turn into a real culinary masterpiece.

Recipe for buckwheat in the microwave

The cereal should be placed in a saucepan with a volume of at least 2 liters for the microwave and pour boiling water. Salt to taste. Cover with a lid and put in the microwave, set the maximum temperature (until boiling). After boiling, mix the cereal and cook without a lid for another 4 minutes.

Then mix again and cook for another 4 minutes. After that, we take out the pan, the water should have already evaporated. If all the water has not evaporated, then it can be drained, and if the cereal has not yet been cooked, then you can put it on for a few more minutes. In the finished dish, add butter, sugar to taste.

Recipe for buckwheat in a double boiler

This method is most convenient if you want to cook tasty and healthy buckwheat, while spending a minimum of effort. The steamer will do everything for you, while you can do something else.

You need to pour the cereal into the rice container, which is attached to the double boiler, and fill it with water, exceeding the volume of water by 1.5 times! There will be enough steam inside, and excess liquid will only complicate the cooking process.

It is better to salt after the readiness of buckwheat, as it can be salted.

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Every business has its subtleties. Even to properly cook buckwheat, you need experience, otherwise it will never turn out crumbly, fragrant and really tasty. Well, if you still don’t have enough personal experience, but the desire to cook does not weaken from this, welcome here. What kind of buckwheat do you want? Traditional, green, in bags? Cooked on the stovetop or in the microwave? We have many recipes.

Many Western European countries treat buckwheat porridge with coolness, preferring risotto, semolina, oatmeal and other cereal dishes to it. Poor fellows! They don’t know what they are giving up, because buckwheat is simply filled to capacity with vitamins and microelements that you won’t find in its brothers, more popular among Western people. Their reserves in buckwheat are so high that you can spend some time eating only porridge and not undermine your health. Although this, of course, we will not advise you. Everything is good in moderation, and love for buckwheat too.

What can boast of buckwheat?

Vitamins of groups B, E, C, PP.
Minerals: potassium, calcium, cobalt, iodine, boron, zinc, phosphorus. There is especially a lot of iron here, which saves us from anemia, provides organs and tissues with oxygen and is involved in metabolism. Well, for female beauty, copper present in cereals is of increased importance - thanks to it, nails do not break, hair does not split, and lovers of cereals have a fresh and cheerful look.
Proteins, which, unlike proteins of animal origin, are absorbed almost completely.
Carbohydrates, for a long time relieving hunger. Therefore, fasting days on buckwheat are not only useful, but also satisfying.
Fiber, beneficial to the digestive tract.
Amino acids and fatty acids, the benefits of which for health, youth and beauty cannot be overestimated.

The habit of regularly introducing buckwheat porridge into your menu significantly reduces the risk of acquiring diabetes, high cholesterol, diseases associated with blood vessels (varicose veins, hemorrhoids) and other unpleasant ailments. Buckwheat increases the level of hemoglobin, prevents the formation of blood clots, makes capillary walls more elastic, normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland, fights excess weight and removes excess fluid from the body.

Green buckwheat has a light shade, a nutty aroma and a delicate aftertaste.

On the shelves of stores, you can most often find buckwheat, obtained from whole grains, which were previously removed from the shell - it is called the core and is great for making healthy and crumbly cereals. Those who have stomach problems or are going to cook for the smallest members of the family should look for prodel - crushed buckwheat, ideal for cooking dietary porridges and soups. And if you are seriously concerned about healthy eating, go to a specialized store and look for green buckwheat there. Such a product is not subjected to heat treatment, therefore it retains a maximum of vitamins and minerals in its composition. In addition, green cereals can be germinated.

Counting calories

Oddly enough, buckwheat is quite weighty in terms of nutritional value: every 100 g of the product contains, on average, 329–335 kcal. However, rice, beloved by many dieters, is no less nutritious, but it is inferior to its “sister” in the presence of antioxidants - almost 80 times!

So you can gobble up porridge with a light soul, without fear of getting better. Just watch the amount of butter that you add to it when cooking - that's really high-calorie.

Secrets of cooking crumbly buckwheat porridge

How much skill is needed to fill the grain with water, put it on the fire and wait a bit? Approximately this is how novice cooks argue, starting to cook buckwheat for the first time. And then they wonder why it came out not so fragrant and “grainy” as it used to be in childhood? The fact is that there are important subtleties and secrets here, and steamed turnip ... that is, buckwheat, is not at all as simple as it might seem.

Unground buckwheat is cooked for 20-30 minutes. It is very undesirable to digest it: this will affect both the consistency and the taste of the finished dish. Not to mention the fact that an extra stay in boiling water will deprive the porridge of some vitamins and other useful substances.

How to cook buckwheat - methods and proportions

Our short educational program is over, it's time to move on to the practical part. So, how would you like to cook your first buckwheat culinary masterpiece - in the traditional way on the stove, steamed in the oven, or with the help of the latest technical innovations?

Before cooking, do not forget to sort out the buckwheat, rinse it well with running water several times - this also contributes to obtaining a crumbly consistency - and dry it slightly. And then, if you wish, fry a little in a pan without oil.

With water, milk and broth

Option one is the easiest. For it you will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
400–500 ml of water;
1–2 tbsp. l. oils - it is permissible to use both vegetable and butter;
salt to taste.

Cooking.

Option two, for children and milk lovers. To cook porridge with a pleasant aftertaste of fresh cream and make it healthier, you will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
400 ml taken in equal parts of water and milk;
1–2 tbsp. l. butter;
salt to taste;
if you decide to make the porridge sweet, you will need some sugar, depending on your eating habits.

Cooking.

First, pour only cold water into the saucepan - you will need milk a little later. Add salt, pour in the cereal and leave it to cook over high heat under the lid until it boils.
Everything is exactly the same as in the first version.
When the water boils, remove the foam, make the fire smaller and leave the porridge to evaporate for some more time.
There should be very little water left.
When the water boils almost to the end, pour in the milk (some people prefer to warm it up beforehand) and add the sugar. And then completely reduce the heat and wait another 10 minutes.
If the milk is warmed up, the cooking time will be reduced.
Add butter to the finished dish.
With such a breakfast, you won’t want to eat until lunchtime.
At the very end, removing the saucepan from the stove, you can mix 1 tbsp. l. honey. This will provide it with unique flavor notes and a wonderful aroma, although it will slightly increase the calorie content.
Honey and walnuts are a great company for buckwheat

Option three, for gourmets. Do you want to treat yourself to a hearty, tasty and unusual dish? Boil porridge in broth! You will need:

500 buckwheat;
1 liter beef or chicken broth;
salt to taste.

Cooking.

Video: recipe from the chef

In a saucepan, slow cooker, double boiler and oven

Our ancestors cooked buckwheat exclusively in cast iron pots or pots - this is how it turned out to be intoxicatingly fragrant and rich in taste. In the kitchen of a modern housewife, a cast iron is hardly found, but you can pick up a thick-walled pan for cereals, in which the cereals can steam and swell properly. Then the result will not disappoint you.

Porridge in the oven

But to cook downright breathtaking, juicy buckwheat in the oven, you can’t do without a pot. And also you will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
400 ml of water;
medium bulb;
salt to taste;
a little vegetable oil;
100 g of champignons - optional.

Cooking.

In a slow cooker

You will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
500 ml of water;
a piece of gray butter;
salt to taste.

Cooking.

Do you know that a slow cooker will successfully replace a frying pan if you pour washed and dried cereals into it and leave it for 5 minutes in the “Frying” mode?

Video: buckwheat porridge with onions and carrots

In a double boiler

Do you want porridge to become even healthier and retain a maximum of vitamins and minerals? You will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
400–500 ml of water;
butter;
salt to taste.

Cooking.

In order not to spoil your discontent with empty buckwheat, which is not to everyone's taste, place sweet peppers, carrots, onions, cauliflower and your favorite spices on raw cereals, and only after that start the double boiler. You can also add thin strips of chicken to buckwheat - given that it cooks quickly, you don’t even have to increase the cooking time.

in the microwave

How not to take advantage of another useful invention designed to make life easier for housewives? Moreover, cooking buckwheat in the microwave is a pleasure. Fast and simple.

You will need:

200 g of buckwheat;
400 ml of water;
salt.

Cooking.

You can cook buckwheat without cooking. It is enough to put the cereal in a thermos, pour boiling water in a ratio of 1: 1, add a little oil and let it brew under a tightly screwed lid for 3-4 hours, and preferably overnight.

How to cook different types of buckwheat

Until now, we have been talking about the usual core. But what if you have to cook buckwheat prodel or porridge in bags? Are there any nuances here? There is.

In packages

How to cook crushed cereal

If you soak the sample in water for a couple of hours before cooking, the dish will turn out to be extremely tender and light. True, a significant part of the vitamins will “float” into the water.

Video: friable green cereal porridge

Here, in fact, is all the wisdom. Agree, nothing complicated? Learn a few simple rules, pick up a suitable saucepan, stock up on a thick blanket in order to bring buckwheat to the desired condition according to all the rules, and your cereals will not be equal.