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Kvasha
Fermented rye and buckwheat porridge
Кваша: Ukrainian fermented rye and buckwheat porridge with dried fruit for Christmas Eve
Kvasha is an old dish of the Volyn and Podillia regions of western Ukraine, cooked for Sviat Vechir, the Holy Supper on Christmas Eve, where twelve meatless dishes are served. Rye and buckwheat flour are mixed with boiling water and left a day to ferment, then cooked into a thick, sweet-sour porridge with dried fruit and honey, rather like a warm fruit pudding. Some villages added malt. It is vegan apart from the honey, which you can swap for sugar. Chef's tip: let the mixture ferment somewhere warm until it tastes pleasantly sour; under-fermented kvasha tastes floury and flat.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz rye flour
- 1 ¾ oz buckwheat flour
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 piece of rye bread crustabout 20 g, to start the fermentation
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 4 tbsp honeyor sugar for a vegan dish
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)optional
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 3 ½ oz rye flour and 1 ¾ oz buckwheat flour in a bowl, pour on 2 cups boiling water and whisk to a smooth paste. Leave to cool to lukewarm.
10 minStep 2: Push 1 piece of rye bread crust into the paste, cover loosely and leave in a warm place (25–82°F) for 18–24 hours, until it smells and tastes pleasantly sour and has a few bubbles. Remove the crust.
Step 3: Simmer 7 oz mixed dried fruit (apples, pears, prunes, cherries) in 1 ¾ cups water for 15 minutes, until soft.
15 minStep 4: Whisk the fermented paste into the fruit and its liquid, add 1 pinch salt and cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, for 10–15 minutes, until it thickens to a smooth porridge that coats the spoon. A common mistake is cooking it too hot: it catches on the base and turns bitter.
12 minStep 5: Stir in 4 tbsp honey and ½ tsp ground cinnamon, if using. Serve warm or cold in small bowls.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kvasha take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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