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Food & Wine Recipe

Kasha with Red Onion, Sage and Currants

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  • ACTIVE: 15 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 6
  • •FAST
  • •HEALTHY
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •VEGETARIAN

Jerry Traunfeld enjoys using kasha—the toasted buckwheat groats that are a staple in Eastern European cooking (and the general term for all sorts of cooked grains). His trick is to mix the grains with egg whites before cooking them in a nonstick skillet. "It keeps the kasha from getting mushy," Traunfeld says. "I don't know why it works, but it does." Kasha is sold in a variety of grinds; Traunfeld likes the coarse Wolff's brand best (wolffskasha.com). Here, he flavors the nutty grains with sweet currants and earthy sage to make an excellent vegetarian side dish.

  1. 1 cup coarse kasha
  2. 2 egg whites
  3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  4. 2 medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
  5. 1 tablespoon thinly sliced sage leaves
  6. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  7. 2 cups hot water
  8. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  9. 1/4 cup dried currants
  1. In a nonstick skillet, mix the kasha with the egg whites. Set the skillet over moderate heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the kasha smells toasted and the grains are separate, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over high heat until tender and browned in spots, 8 minutes. Add the sage and salt and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the kasha, water and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed, 12 minutes. Add the currants, fluff the kasha with a fork and serve.