Kasha Varnishkes Image Used Under Creative Commons License From bobsredmill.com
Citizens, this is the last of our postings of classic Jewish recipes in honor of National Jewish Appreciation month!
Kashe varnishkes (sometimes Americanized as kasha varnishkas) is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish that combines kasha (buckwheat groats) with noodles, typically farfalle bow-tie pasta.
Buckwheat groats (also known as gretshkes/greytshkelach or retshkes/reytshkelach in Yiddish) are prepared separately from, and then fried together with, lokshen (noodles) and tsibelach (onions) in schmaltz (poultry fat). Sometimes briye (chicken or beef stock) is used in the preparation.
Kasha varnishkes are part of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Jews from Eastern Europe brought the food to America and it is widely popular in the American Jewish community. Many Jews came to the U.S. in the early 20th century to escape the pogroms in Russia.
They lived in poverty and as a result ate foods which were low in cost. Kasha varnishkes was one such dish, but what began as an economic dish later evolved into a family comfort food.
The word “kasha” is Russian for porridge, though it refers primarily to buckwheat porridge, the most common and inexpensive grain available. The name “varnishkes” seems to be a Yiddish corruption of the Russian “varenichki”, small stuffed dumplings. A recipe from 1925 shows kasha-filled dumplings, rather than the simpler kasha with farfalle.
Kasha comes in various textures: whole, coarse, medium or fine. TFD suggests using the medium, which sticks best to the noodles. For the noodles: both Manischewitz® and Streits® make suitable noodles (marketed as Bows or Egg Bows).
If you can’t find these, don’t substitute regular egg noodles — they don’t have the texture needed to hold the kasha! Instead, substitute farfalle (bow tie-shaped pasta), which don’t taste the same but hold the kasha well.
Citizens, this will evoke great nostalgia amongst Jews of a certain age, and for the rest of you – it is a delicious side dish for your next meal!
TFD has updated the humble recipe with leek, shallot, wild mushrooms, slivered mustard greens and spinach for a true taste sensation worthy of you, the proud Citizens of TFD Nation! I’ve also replaced the chicken fat with olive oil and butter, but by all means try it with the original chicken fat if you are so inclined! Lastly, I use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, but feel free to use the chicken if you so prefer!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use chicken fat for authenticity)
- 2 tablespoons butter (or use chicken fat for authenticity)
- 1 cup kasha, medium grind
- 1 egg white
- 2 cups vegetable stock (or use chicken stock for authenticity)
- 2 tablespoons butter (or use chicken fat for authenticity)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or use chicken fat for authenticity)
- ⅓ cup Maui or sweet yellow onion, diced small
- ⅓ cup shallot, diced small
- ⅓ cup leek, diced smal
- l½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup assorted wild mushrooms, finely chopped
- ½ cup mustard greens, cut in fine chiffonade
- ½ cup fresh spinach leaves, cut in fine chiffonade
- 1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
Instructions
- In a two-quart saucepot, add olive oil and butter, heat on medium flame.
- While the oil and butter are heating, in a small bowl coat the kasha with the egg white. Add the coated kasha to the hot pan.
- Toast the kasha for 2 -3 minutes. Add vegetable stock. In a separate sauté pan, add the remaining butter and oil and brown. When the butter has browned, add the remaining oil.
- Add all the onions and sauté until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and cook for approximately 2 more minutes. Add the sauté mix to the kasha and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed.
- When ready, fluff kasha with a fork. Just before serving, fold in the chiffonade of mustard greens and spinach. Toss with hot bow ties and serve immediately.
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