So, this buckwheat recipe that made you probably scratching your head thinking “what is this stuff, Olena?”…
Let me introduce you to Ukrainian quinoa – buckwheat. I honestly am puzzled why buckwheat hasn’t exploded in America yet like quinoa has. Buckwheat takes the same 15 minutes to cook, is gluten free and with mind blowing nutritional properties just like quinoa. Very similar high protein and fiber numbers. And it is low glycemic.
So, if you get tired of quinoa once in a while like I do, let me introduce you to a 30 minute vegan buckwheat stir fry that you can put your own spin on depending what is in your fridge.
Here is what roasted buckwheat groats look like. Now, please do not ignore the word “roasted”. I highly recommend to buy only dark brown colour roasted buckwheat because groats keep their shape thus not becoming a mush. Plus the taste is to die for! Raw greenish pale buckwheat groats sold in most bulk sections of traditional supermarkets are no good. You will hate buckwheat if you cook that stuff. I do not want to ruin your first impression with this super seed.
And despite its name buckwheat has no wheat or any ties to grains. It is a fruit seed. Just like quinoa is a seed and not a grain.
So, where to buy roasted buckwheat groats?! In ethnic food stores like European and Russian stores. I also have seen it in small grocery stores that carry a variety of specialty foods. Buckwheat might go under name “Kasha”. Or luckily Bob’s Red Mill knows his stuff and you can buy roasted buckwheat on Amazon. Wohoo.
Technically you could buy raw buckwheat and roast it in the oven but I haven’t tried. Share if you have.
Cooking buckwheat takes 15 minutes.You do not need any mad cooking skills, just cook like quinoa or follow the package instructions. Honestly, no rice cooker required. The key is not to open the lid and not to peak inside. Leave the pot alone for 15 minutes on low and your buckwheat will come out fluffy and falling apart. I ate my fair share of mush, so I learnt.
And what does buckwheat taste like?! Well, roasted, nutty and super delicious! Hard to explain. I have the fondest childhood memories of buckwheat and my Canadian born kids love it too. For dinner, we usually had it with ground chicken burgers or boiled European style sausage and pickles on a side. And for breakfast, we would mix hot buckwheat with butter, sugar and milk. Best healthy cereal ever! I should post that recipe.
So, on Monday I decided to make buckwheat stir fry. I had a bunch of vegetables and herbs from Saturday’s farmers market. Some leftover artichoke hearts in the fridge and parsley from my garden that had to be used. I snipped it off as I was trimming growing too tall parsley and placed in a glass with cold water. In a fridge, it keeps for a few days – just a tip for you.
I also just received a few free jars of red palm and buttery flavour coconut oils. So, I thought I would add those healthy fats and vitamins to my buckwheat stir fry.
Unfortunately karma was to get me. Seriously. This oil turned out to cost $16. I just purchased new French press because our old one was broken by kids. So, this morning Alex was about to pour coffee, opened the kitchen cabinet to reach for something (I wonder what that was) and this palm oil jar fell out on top of new French press. Ugh. Still good oil and I need to buy new press. That is how money go to waste. Ugh.
You don’t have to use feta cheese on top. I did solely for picture purposes. In fact, I am going dairy free for 3 weeks because I suspect it causes acne on my face. Cystic acne like I have never had before. Last week I enjoyed Greek yogurt a bit too much I think and this week my face is not pretty. So, I am experimenting to see if dairy is an issue. If not, next on the list is coffee. Ouch.
Anyways, enjoy this delicious buckwheat recipe!
PrintBuckwheat Stir Fry with Kale, Peppers & Artichokes
Buckwheat Stir Fry Recipe with cooked roasted buckwheat groats, kale, pepper, marinated artichokes and optional feta cheese for a healthy 30 minute dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Buckwheat:
- 1 1/2 cups roasted buckwheat groats, uncooked
- 3 cups water
- Pinch of himalayan pink salt
Stir fry:
- 1 bunch kale, ribs removed & finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large bell peppers, cut into strips
- 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
- 4 tbsp coconut or red palm oil, divided
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
Instructions
My foolproof buckwheat cooking method:
- In a medium pot, add buckwheat; rinse and drain with cold water a few times. Add 3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Do not open the lid. Remove from heat, let stand for 3 minutes and fluff with a fork.
Stir fry:
- In the meanwhile, preheat ceramic non-stick wok on medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil to coat. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds. Add kale and 1/4 tsp salt; sauté until shrunk in half, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Return wok to high heat and swirl 1 tbsp of oil. Add peppers and 1/4 tsp salt; sauté until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl with kale.
- Reduce heat to low and add remaining 2 tbsp of oil. Add cooked buckwheat and briefly stir it to coat in oil. Turn off heat. Add previously cooked kale and peppers, artichoke hearts, parsley, basil and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Stir gently and serve warm.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
This stir fry is delicious!
★★★★★
Forgot to add, re. your acne problem. Your dairy theory is spot on (no pun intended), I had the same problem, and have an appointment here in London at the end of this month with an amazing Canadian Naturopath Doctor who is soooo popular it took a month to make this appointment. Her name is Dr Nigma Talib – here is a great article on thoughts about inflammatory foods and the havoc they create on the skin and body:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/health-advice/the-skin-doctor-who-will-change-your-life/
No pun, I appreciate your link. That doctor studied in Vancouver and has a clinic here. So, technically I could visit her. I kind of suspect what I will hear haha. For now, I will try food elimination and see how it goes. I also have read horrible things about coffee causing acne because it raises cortisol which is a hormone and is highly acidic. A week without dairy and coffee already made a big difference. My skin is clearing up and no new acne has appeared yet. I will see how I survive ovulation and period when my acne gets the worst! That is when my hormones go bananas of course. But lately I noticed I had acne and hormone disbalance daily.
So how is your skin now? Please come back and tell me what she tells you. I am really curious to hear what worked for you!
Hi Olena, I tasted this for the first and only time while visiting a friend in Kyrgyzstan, and fell in love with it! I’m so happy you posted this as I couldn’t find a recipe anywhere on the internet, and of course I had purchased a bag of roasted buckwheat groats which have been sitting in my cupboard begging me to cook them 🙂
Btw, I live in the UK, and love your blog!
Best wishes, P
Hello. Awe, thank you for your love.:) Yes, Kyrgyzstan was in a former USSR like Ukraine, so we ate similar food. Their food is more Middle Eastern and so delicious! But yes they share many similar ingredients and dishes with Ukraine.
I am curious about the buckwheat and want to try! But I only saw the regular, un-toasted kind so I’ll have to try Amazon. I just tried, and loved,organic hulled barley! (Not the pearled which has lost its germ, nutrients and fiber) I made it as a breakfast cereal, and also cooked it and added to chicken soup. So much healthier than pasta or brown rice, which is usually poisoned with arsenic if it’s grown in the U.S. it’s wildly high in protein and fiber! Now I want to try some other new organic grains and seeds. Like buckwheat!
Really?! Now I want to buy hulled barley. I will check my health food store. I am glad I didn’t buy pearled. See, we learn from each other.:)
The instructions for cooking hulled barley say it takes much longer to cook, so I put it in my slow cooker, expecting it to take hours. I am glad I was home because instead of the 6-8, it was done in 2. It freezes well cooked, according to the package, but I have used all I cooked!
Ha! Olena, I have learned so much more from you! Any little thing you can get from me is a raindrop in the sea of knowledge! I thank you for that. Without the accidental discovery of your blog we’d still be eating junk! We aren’t 100% organic but I’ll say 70, and where it is most important. I wish everyone would begin to question what is in all of those packages that line the grocery shelves.
Awe. Thank you. We are not 100% organic either. It is quite hard to reach that. I know. I frankly not understand why people do not care what hey eat until disaster strikes them…
Yes, some directions on packages are a bit off. For the life of me I can’t remember what type of barley I ate in Ukraine. As soon as I see hulled barley I will remember if that or pearled barley I ate.
Super pretty photos Olena! Love them and that beautiful spring light. And the stir-fry sounds so amazing! Pinned 🙂
Awe, thank you, Katie!
I’ve heard others mention dairy as a culprit for acne. Boo! Hope you figure it out. You have me extra interested to try buckwheat! I know it’s out there (it may be in my pantry!) but I don’t cook it obviously. I’ve had buckwheat pancakes before though. What a delicious throw together dish. My kind of food!
Also coffee. I am off of coffee too. Ouch.
I have never tried buckwheat flour recipes. I assume tastes like buckwheat.:)