How to cook buckwheat groats (easiest way)

I grew up having buckwheat at least once a week and could not imagine my life without an occasional delicious buckwheat kasha for breakfast. Especially in winter, it is so nice and comforting.

I am very happy to see that buckwheat has found its way to the top of the health food list. It is for a good reason. Buckwheat groats are packed with vitamins and nutrients.

They are a great source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and vitamin B6. Furthermore, buckwheat constitutes a good source of bioactive components that show anti-inflammatory effects. Such a great way to add some extra nutrients to your diet.

Buckwheat is gluten-free

Please don’t be fooled by the word wheat in it. Buckwheat is not a true grain and contains no gluten. It is a so-called pseudo grain and may be safely eaten by people with gluten-related disorders, such as celiac disease and non-celiac gluten intolerance. So, yes buckwheat is perfect for a gluten-free diet and comes with a lot of health benefits.

Buckwheat in vegetarian and vegan diets

Buckwheat is a great source of vegetarian protein. Protein makes up 3.4% of boiled buckwheat groats (source). Even though the amount is quite small, the protein in buckwheat is very high quality. This is because of its well-balanced amino acid profile. So buckwheat is a great choice for anyone on a vegan diet.

Cooking methods

So, how do you cook buckwheat? There are so many different methods to cook buckwheat: in a saucepan, in a pressure cooker, rice cooker, microwave, oven, and even a no-cook method - soaking. In this post, I will show you how to cook fluffy buckwheat on the stove and will include quick instructions on how to cook it in a pressure cooker and in a rice cooker. You will see it is very easy.

Roasted or not roasted

There are two main types of buckwheat on the market. Roasted and raw. The buckwheat that comes from Eastern European countries is always roasted and has a slightly earthy, nutty flavor, the taste I am most used to.

Here in Australia, you can buy buckwheat from whole food stores and it is usually raw, so-called green buckwheat. It is plainer in taste.

This recipe will work with both of these types.

Ingredients:

The ingredients list is short 😊

• Buckwheat
• Butter, you can use vegan butter if you prefer (optional)
• Salt

Yes, only three simple ingredients. Oh, I forgot, you will need some cold water too 🙂

How to cook buckwheat

This recipe is very easy, but you will need to follow these simple steps so you don’t end up with mushy buckwheat. Let's start with my favorite way of cooking the buckwheat:

Absorption method

• First and foremost, you need to wash the buckwheat. I use a mesh colander and wash the buckwheat under running cold water until the water is clear.

• Now we need to dry buckwheat and we will do it in a frying pan. Add washed and drained buckwheat groats into a hot frying pan and heat it through until the buckwheat is dry and aromatic.

• Add 1 cup of buckwheat groats, rinsed and toasted, into a saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Use a measuring cup to make sure your water-buckwheat ratio is correct.

• Bring water to a boil on medium heat and then immediately lower it down. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Do not open the lid and do not stir it. After 15 minutes, take the saucepan off the heat and let the buckwheat sweat for 5 minutes, do not open the lid.
• After 5 minutes, add a tablespoon of butter and close the lid again. Let the buckwheat rest for another 10 minutes. (THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL)

• Now you can open the lid and fluff the buckwheat up using a fork. It is ready to be enjoyed!

In a rice cooker (the easiest way)

This is probably the easiest way to cook buckwheat. If you cook your rice in a rice cooker, it is all you need to know. Buckwheat is cooked just like your ordinary white rice.

Start with steps 1 to 3 from the absorption method.

4. Transfer buckwheat into a rice cooker, and add tablespoon of unsalted butter and water. Ration 1 cup of buckwheat to 2 cups of water.

5. Turn on the rice cooker. Once the program has finished, let buckwheat sweat for another 10 minutes. Done.

In a pressure cooker

I like my pressure cooker because the cooking time is always less than in the absorption method.

1-3. See the steps above.

4. Transfer rinsed, toasted buckwheat into the pressure cooker along with water.

5. Choose the RICE program. Once the program has finished, do not open buckwheat for another ten minutes. After 5 minutes buckwheat is ready to be served.

Water buckwheat ratio

For all the methods above the water to buckwheat ratio is 1 cup of raw buckwheat groats to 2 cups of water.

How to store

If you have any leftover buckwheat, let it cool completely. Put it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

Reheat

Transfer cooked buckwheat into a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoon of water, cover with a lid, and heat it up for 5 minutes on low heat.

Where to buy it?

Now that we spoke about how to cook it, let's see where you can find it. It used to be hard to find buckwheat, but now the days, you can buy green buckwheat in whole food and might find it on the health food shelves in your local grocery stores. You can even buy Bob's Red Mill Organic buckwheat online.

To buy toasted buckwheat groats you will have to look for an Eastern European food store. Sometimes you might find buckwheat in Asian grocery stores too.

How to serve it?

Buckwheat is very versatile and can be enjoyed in various numbers of ways. Of course, you can have it on its own for breakfast, adding a splash of milk, a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, and some fresh berries and nuts. But buckwheat makes an excellent side dish too and can be used just as you would use any other grains, such as rice or quinoa.

Do I have to add butter?

If you don't like butter, feel free to leave it out, but I would say that a little bit of butter makes the buckwheat even better.

Why is my buckwheat mushy?

Your buckwheat water ratio is wrong. You added the wrong amount of water. Follow the recipe to the dot for the perfect fluffy buckwheat

Quick tip

Now that we have spoken about buckwheat groats for a while, let me ask you? Have you heard about buckwheat flour? If you haven't, it is time to start using it in your cooking. Buckwheat flour is an excellent substitute for wheat flour. It has been used in Eastern European countries for centuries and the Japanese enjoy soba noodles which are made, you guessed it, from buckwheat flour.

How to cook buckwheat Recipe

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Looking for more buckwheat recipes, check out these:

One-ingredient buckwheat bread recipe

Golden gluten-free carrot crepes