Banosh is a traditional Hutsul dish made from cornmeal. It is cooked in rich sour cream and served with bryndza cheese, cracklings and wild mushrooms.

The recipe was shared by food blogger Myroslava Pekariuk and published by Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia.

The main rule of banosh is to keep turning it, that is, stirring it so it does not burn. Then the porridge comes out smooth and without lumps.

What you need

  • homemade sour cream — 500 ml for the porridge and 2 tbsp for the mushrooms;
  • suluguni cheese — 100 g;
  • fine cornmeal — 90 g;
  • chanterelles — 300 g;
  • onion — 1 large;
  • butter — 1 tbsp;
  • oil — 1 tbsp;
  • salt — to taste.

How to make it

1. Bring the sour cream to the boil. Put a cauldron or heavy-based pot on the heat, pour in the sour cream, add a little salt and bring to the boil, stirring so it does not burn.

2. Cook the banosh. Pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring all the time.

3. Add the cheese. At the end add the suluguni and stir well until it has completely melted. The banosh should not be too thick, as it will thicken a little more after cooking.

4. Fry the mushrooms. Clean the chanterelles and halve them, and slice the onion into half rings. Fry the onion in oil until golden, then add the mushrooms and butter.

5. Braise. Fry until the mushrooms release their juice, then add 2 tablespoons of sour cream, season with salt and braise for a few more minutes.

The banosh is ready when it comes away from the sides of the pot and turns as a single mass, and drops of melted butter appear on the surface. Transfer it to a bowl and top with the mushrooms, and sprinkle with bryndza and cracklings if you like. Porcini can replace the chanterelles, and shop-bought sour cream with 20–30% fat can be used instead of homemade.

As a reminder, in October we made a wild mushroom risotto.

Nota bene

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