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Buckwheat with cabbage, carrots and chicken breast

A pilaf dish in an unusual combination of flavors you will love!

This is a really quick, delicious and healthy dish and a great way to introduce buckwheat to the family. In fact, the combination of cabbage, sweet carrots, buckwheat and seasoned chicken will convince everyone. Plus, it's a lunch or dinner that's seasonal, perfect for winter and literally made with just a few ingredients.

Buckwheat has a flavor that most of us have to get used to, but once you do, you're hooked! It has an amazing "sort of characteristic taste and smell", is of course incredibly healthy and just as versatile in the kitchen as rice. Of course, you can buy buckwheat today in all kinds of forms, such as groats, bulgur, flakes, ready-made porridge, all kinds of pasta or even as ready-made mixtures for baking or bread, but I am true to the least processed form, and that is hulled groats.

But when we bring some of the buckwheat home, we need to cook something from it. And the best way to enjoy buckwheat is with this recipe along with cabbage, carrots and chicken. And I'll explain to you why right now!

If you're adding any new food to the "regular menu" in your family, it's best if the dish looks familiar. And I assume that some form of pilaf or fried rice is made in every family.
In a dish like this, everything is cut into small pieces so that you have "a little bit of everything" on your spoon, so the new flavor and new texture of the food doesn't stand out.
The spices used in this recipe spices the characteristic taste and aroma of buckwheat, which may be unusual to new eaters.
The maple syrup and carrots make the buckwheat slightly sweet, which could work for most kiddos.
The addition of marinated chicken breast , on the other hand, may please those family members who enjoy meat. (Note how cleverly I have avoided any suggestion that the meat will mainly please your men.)

Are you looking for other buckwheat recipes?
Try some of my favorite recipes!

Benefits of buckwheat

And here we are, why to eat buckwheat and why to even try it! Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and is classified as a pseudo-grain that can be used as a regular grain. It is therefore suitable for all those who have to, or want to, limit gluten in their diet.

Buckwheat is also a traditional crop and ingredient in our cuisine and used to be commonly eaten before it was apparently pushed out of our diets by rice. Which is really a pity, because buckwheat contains a lot of nutrients! It is high in protein, fiber and is a very good source of zinc, copper and selenium and some B vitamins.

But what buckwheat is most famous for is its rutin content, which has a beneficial effect on the elasticity of blood vessels. It is therefore recommended to be consumed often to people who suffer from vascular disorders such as varicose veins, or tendency to heavy bleeding. What is less known, however, is the fact that the amount of rutin is highest in the green parts than in the seed.

Which buckwheat to use?

Buying buckwheat is not such a simple matter. Because you can buy both dark and light buckwheat, and there is one big difference between the two.

Dark buckwheat (aka roast buckwheat) is peeled thermally or heat-treated. Which means that it goes through high heat to help remove the husk and thus the grain turns a dark brown color. Buckwheat peeled in this way can also taste smoky, which enhances its typical flavor and slight bitter taste.
Light green or brown buckwheat is mechanically peeled. This is a much gentler way of processing, which also allows the buckwheat to retain as many nutrients and its delicate flavor as possible. It does not pass through heat processing and remains 'alive'. It is therefore also suitable for sprouting.

Although I use light green buckwheat in most of my recipes, for this recipe I highly recommend using DARK BUCKWHEAT. Heat allows the grains (seeds) to separate nicely and you get a dish similar to pilaf. And believe me, it's worth getting dark buckwheat just for this recipe!

If you want to use light green buckwheat, follow these steps.

Since it's a live seed and I soak the buckwheat in the recipe overnight, you won't find soaked and fluffy buckwheat in the morning. But rather seed coated with "slime". Because they start to sprout. So rinse those seeds thoroughly and remove as much slime as possible. Then boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes and leave them under the lid for about 20 minutes. After that, rinse them again and finally add them to the pan with the vegetables to heat them up, just like in a recipe.

What to combine the buckwheat with?

Buckwheat can be used both savory and sweet. In addition to being absolutely perfect in combination with cabbage, carrots and chicken, you can come up with more variations that go well with buckwheat. You can try fresh garlic, cured meats, bacon, potatoes and cheese, especially goat or sheep cheeses are incredible.

You can certainly spices , also curry blends. Combined with white meats like chicken, rabbit or fish, spinach, mushrooms and a splash of cream, you have another delicious lunch or dinner in no time. You can also try buckwheat on the sweet side as a fruit salad with sliced apple, honey, dried fruit and cinnamon.

How to make buckwheat with cabbage, carrots and chicken breast?

Start by soaking the buckwheat. Measure a cup of buckwheat into a bowl and pour a cup of water over it. . Take out the unpeeled groats, which are black and hard, as needed. Cover the buckwheat and leave it to soak until the next day, or for at least 4 hours in a cool place.

The day before we also prepare the meat. Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes of about 1 cm and mix them in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and spices (dried basil, dried onion, ground paprika, ground coriander, ground turmeric, a pinch of ginger, ground pepper and salt). Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat a large frying pan with a few tablespoons of oil and fry the marinated meat until golden brown. Then remove the meat to a clean bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the diced onion and the sliced cabbage with carrots. Stir everything until the vegetables are soft and browned. Then add a teaspoon of maple syrup and stir.

Add the cooked meat to the mixture with the juices it has released. Stir in the soaked buckwheat, salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let it warm under the lid for about 3-5 minutes. Stir once more and season as needed.

How to store buckwheat with cabbage, carrots and chicken?

Put the cooled buckwheat mixture in an airtight container, where it will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. It freezes well too, so it's a very good meal to stock up on. Buckwheat with cabbage, carrots and chicken is best heated in a pan with a drizzle of oil or water to keep it nice and fluffy.

TIPS:
- you can also cook the buckwheat according to the instructions on the package (or let it boil for 3 minutes and then finish cooking for 20 minutes under the lid)
- if you want a meat-free version, use cubed natural tofu instead of chicken
- for extra crispy tofu, add 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the marinade with the spices
- you can also try adding finely chopped garlic, leeks or roasted sunflower seeds to the buckwheat

Recipe

Recipe - 4 servings

Buckwheat with cabbage, carrots and chicken breast

Ingredients:

1 cup (200 g) dark buckwheat groats
1 cup (240 g) water
2 small chicken breasts or one large one (200-250 g)
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3 handfuls of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tsp maple syrup
0,5 tsp dried basil
0,5 tsp dried granulated onion
0,5 tsp ground sweet paprika
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground turmeric
pinch of ground ginger
salt and pepper
olive oil

Instructions:

1. Soaking the buckwheat: Add a cup of buckwheat into a bowl and pour a cup of water over it.. Cover the buckwheat and leave it to soak overnight, or for at least 4 hours in a cool place.
2. Marinate the meat: Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes of about 1 cm and mix them in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and spices (dried basil, dried onion, ground paprika, ground coriander, ground turmeric, a pinch of ginger, ground pepper and salt). Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
3. Heat a large frying pan with a few tablespoons of oil and fry the marinated meat until golden brown. Then remove the meat to a clean bowl.
4. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the diced onion and the sliced cabbage with carrots. Stir everything until the vegetables are soft and browned. Then add a teaspoon of maple syrup and stir.
5. Add the cooked meat to the mixture with the juices it has released. Stir in the soaked buckwheat, salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let it warm under the lid for about 3-5 minutes. Stir once more and season as needed.