Hrechanyky are patties of boiled buckwheat and minced meat that have been made in Ukraine for centuries. Different regions serve them differently: with mushroom gravy in Galicia, in a cream sauce in the Poltava region and in a tomato sauce in Podillia.

The recipe was shared by the outlet The Page.

On fasting days the meat is replaced with fried mushrooms or boiled beans, and everything else is made the same way.

What you need

  • buckwheat — 1 cup;
  • meat (pork or beef) — 300–400 g;
  • onion — 1–2;
  • egg — 1;
  • breadcrumbs or flour — 2–3 tbsp;
  • oil for frying — 3–4 tbsp;
  • salt and black pepper — to taste;
  • sour cream or tomato sauce — for braising, optional.

How to make it

1. Cook the buckwheat. Rinse the buckwheat, cover with water in a ratio of one part buckwheat to two parts water and cook until tender. Leave to cool.

2. Make the mince. Put the meat and onion through a mincer. If you like, fry the onion in oil first for a milder flavour.

3. Mix. Combine the cooled buckwheat with the mince, add the egg, salt, pepper and a little breadcrumbs or flour so the mixture is thicker and holds its shape. Knead thoroughly.

4. Shape the patties. Form small oval or round patties and coat them in flour or breadcrumbs.

5. Fry. Fry in well-heated oil until golden on both sides.

6. Braise if you like. For a more tender texture, move the patties to a deep pan or ovenproof dish, pour over a sauce based on sour cream or tomato juice and braise under a lid over low heat for 10–15 minutes.

Hrechanyky are served hot with sour cream or herbs. They are also good cold, so you can take them with you.

As a reminder, the day before we roasted pork with quince.

Nota bene

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