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Mannaya kasha

Mannaya kasha (манная каша): smooth Russian semolina porridge with butter and jam

Mannaya kasha is the breakfast of every Russian childhood, served in kindergartens and at home: semolina simmered in milk into a smooth, soft porridge, with a melting knob of butter and a spoon of jam or berries in the middle. The famous mistake, joked about by generations of children, is lumps; they form when semolina is tipped in all at once, so rain it in slowly while stirring. Chef's tip: for a thick porridge use 3 tablespoons of semolina per 250 ml of milk, and for the runny kindergarten style use 2; it thickens a lot as it cools, so take it off the heat a little thinner than you want.
Total time
12 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
2
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Ingredients

Serves2

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Bring 2 cups whole milk with 1 pinch salt and 1 tbsp sugar to a gentle simmer in a saucepan over a medium heat, watching that it does not boil over.

    5 min
  2. Step 2: Rain 6 tbsp fine semolina in slowly with one hand while whisking constantly with the other.

  3. Step 3: Cook on a low heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until smooth, creamy and the grains are soft.

    4 min
  4. Step 4: Take off the heat, cover and leave for 2 minutes to thicken.

  5. Step 5: Pour into bowls and top each with half of ⅔ oz butter and a spoon of 2 tbsp raspberry or cherry jam.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
330 kcal
Protein
11 g
Carbs
48 g
Fat
11 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does mannaya kasha take?
About 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of whole milk?
Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

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