Pumpkin millet porridge
Harbuzova kasha (гарбузова каша): pumpkin and millet simmered in milk with butter and honey
Autumn in central Ukraine means piles of grey-skinned pumpkins in every yard, and the first thing many grandmothers make with them is this golden breakfast porridge. Diced pumpkin is simmered until it collapses, then millet and milk are added and the pot is left to cook down into something thick, creamy and faintly sweet, finished with butter and a spoon of honey. In villages around Cherkasy and Vinnytsia it was once baked for hours in the clay stove; a heavy pan on a low heat gives a very similar result. Serve it hot in deep bowls, with extra honey and a few raisins for children. The usual slip is skipping the rinse: millet carries a bitter dust, and only washing it in several changes of hot water takes it away. Chef's tip: choose a dense, deep-orange pumpkin such as butternut or a Ukrainian 'muscat' type; watery Halloween pumpkins make a thin, pale kasha.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin and ¾ cup water in a heavy pan, cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, until the cubes are soft enough to crush against the side with a spoon.
15 minStep 4: Cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the millet has swollen and burst and the porridge is thick enough to hold a trail from the spoon. Mash some of the pumpkin into it as you stir.
22 minStep 6: Spoon into bowls and finish with ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ⅜ oz raisins and a drizzle more honey if you like.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pumpkin millet porridge take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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