Harbuzova kasha (pumpkin porridge)

What it is

Harbuzova kasha is a simple dish of autumn and winter: pumpkin, cut into cubes, is boiled in water or milk and thickened with grits.

Boykos, according to the book 'Boyko Cuisine', first boiled the pumpkin in water, drained it, added fresh water or milk, then mixed in millet or rice or thickened it with flour, and the finished porridge was beaten with a pestle. Raisins, cinnamon, and candied fruits are modern additions.

The Hutsul variant was recorded in the late 19th century by ethnographer Volodymyr Shukhevych: boiled pumpkin porridge with corn or buckwheat grits was traditionally topped with grated poppy seeds. Hutsuls consumed corn grits almost daily, so they made pumpkin porridge with it.

History and name

Pumpkins were grown in every peasant household in Ukraine and consumed almost year-round because they store well. Baked pumpkin porridge was a Sunday dish, while regular porridge was cooked daily; during fasting, cow's milk was replaced with poppy or hemp milk.

In Boyko cuisine, they prepare not only porridge from pumpkin: pumpkin puree is mixed into potato dough for dumplings and potato cakes, and they bake pumpkin rolls and casseroles.

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: boyko style, with millet in milk

Pumpkin1 kgBoykos mix pumpkin puree into potato dough for fingerlings and bulbiaky; pumpkin is also used to make porridge.

Millet200 gGrain from millet; in Rakhiv region, they bake Christmas stuffed cabbage with millet and mushrooms.

Milk0.5 lCow's milk for the dough of palachyntsi, machanka, and porridge.Contains allergens: milk

Also: water (for the first boiling), salt (a pinch)

Contains allergens: milk
Diet: vegetarian · gluten-free

Variant: fasting, with water

pumpkin, millet, water, salt

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free

Variant: hutsul style, with corn grits and poppy seeds

pumpkin, corn grits, water, poppy seeds, salt

Contains allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the traditional recipe
Diet: lenten · vegan · gluten-free by ingredients; traces possible

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

• Pumpkin — 1 kg
• Millet — 200 g
• Milk — 0.5 l
• Water — for the first boiling
• Salt — a pinch

1. Peel the pumpkin from the skin and seeds, cut it into small cubes, and cover with water.
2. When it boils well, drain the water and add fresh water or milk.
3. Add rinsed millet (or rice, or corn grits) and cook on low heat, stirring, until the grits and pumpkin are soft.
4. Add a pinch of salt and mash the porridge with a pestle or spoon until smooth.
5. Hutsul style: top the finished porridge with corn grits with grated poppy seeds.

How it is served

Warm; with milk — with butter, Hutsul style — with grated poppy seeds.

Variants

Instead of millet, rice can be used, or the porridge can be thickened with flour; Hutsuls made it with corn or buckwheat grits. Modern housewives add raisins, cinnamon, and candied fruits.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

Boykivshchyna and Hutsulshchyna; pumpkin porridge is made throughout Ukraine, so its range is not limited to the mountains. The Hutsul variant with corn grits and poppy seeds was described by V. Shukhevych.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Everyday food · Lent · Harvest

In tradition

A common porridge of autumn and winter; made with water or poppy milk — it is fasting.

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