Buckwheat with mushrooms, carrots, and onion

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients for buckwheat with mushrooms, carrots, and onion. You can use any vegetable oil in place of sunflower oil.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the onion, wash it, and cut it into cubes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Scrub the carrot under running water with a brush, peel it, and cut it into quarter-rounds — that is, slice it into rounds first, then cut each round into 4. You can cut it however you like, but don't make the pieces too small, so the vegetables hold their shape and stay noticeable in the finished dish.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash and dry the mushrooms, then cut them into large pieces. If you're using fresh wild mushrooms, boil them first in salted water. Champignons don't need to be boiled.

5. Step 5:

   

   In a skillet with vegetable oil, sauté the onion over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir it now and then so it cooks evenly and doesn't burn.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the cut carrot to the onion in the skillet and stir. Sauté the vegetables, stirring, until half done. They should be neither fully soft nor hard — they'll finish cooking later.

7. Step 7:

   

   Fry the mushrooms separately in vegetable oil. Don't cook them down too much — just lightly brown them over medium heat.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the sautéed vegetables to the skillet with the mushrooms and stir. Cover the skillet and simmer the vegetables and mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring.

9. Step 9:

   

   Pick over the buckwheat for any debris if needed, rinse it in cold water, and drain.

10. Step 10:

    

    Spread the buckwheat over the mushrooms and vegetables, distributing it evenly across the surface.

11. Step 11:

    

    Pour water into the skillet and turn up the heat. Use twice as much water by volume as buckwheat. Measure this ratio precisely, not by eye — it's one of the keys to truly fluffy buckwheat.

12. Step 12:

    

    Bring the buckwheat to a boil over high heat, add salt, and immediately lower the heat to medium. Cover the skillet with a tight lid. The buckwheat should boil gently and steadily. Another key point: once you've added the grain and water, don't touch or stir it. Try not to lift the lid, so you don't let out the steam and heat that cook it. A glass lid is very handy here, since you can watch the process.

13. Step 13:

    

    When most of the water has been absorbed, turn the heat down low. The remaining water should boil off completely, both from the surface and from the bottom of the pan. At this point you can lift the lid and gently part the buckwheat with a spoon. If there's no liquid at the bottom, the dish is done. The buckwheat should be soft and fluffy.

14. Step 14:

    

    Take the skillet off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5–7 minutes. That's enough time for the buckwheat to steam through and its flavor to fully develop. Don't leave it sitting on the turned-off burner for too long, though — the grains can crack and lose their shape. The buckwheat will just overcook, lose its flavor, and the distinctive buckwheat aroma will fade.

15. Step 15:

    

    Once it's rested, stir the buckwheat. Serve it hot as a main dish or as a side. Enjoy!