Millet and Pumpkin Kasha
Vibrantly colored pumpkin and millet porridge
City/Region: Soviet Union
Time Period: 1939
By the time WWII started, the Soviet Union had already been dealing with famine due to several years of poor harvests. When the German invasion and a scorched earth policy left them with only half of their farm acreage, rationing began, and even so, millions starved.
This Soviet wartime cookbook, The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food, contains mostly recipes that would’ve only been made during the best of times or by those who had access to better food. Even this simple recipe uses milk and sugar, which would have been hard to come by.
The porridge, or kasha, is filling and delicious. It’s lightly sweet from the pumpkin and sugar (though personally I would add more sugar), and the millet has a nice earthy quality. Though not very ration-friendly, you could add some butter for a bit of extra richness.
“Place peeled and finely chopped pumpkin in hot milk and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, then add washed millet. Add salt, and stirring, continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. Place the cooked porridge in a water bath or in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.”
Ingredients:
- 1 sugar or pie pumpkin, or kabocha squash*
- 3 cups (710 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (220 g) millet
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
*You’ll need about 1 lb or 500 g of pumpkin. 1 average sized pumpkin or kabocha squash is more than enough.
Instructions:
- Cut the pumpkin or squash into quarters, then peel them and scrape out the seeds. Chop the pumpkin into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and weigh out 1.1 lbs (500 g). Use the rest of the pumpkin however you want, but you’ll only need 500 g for this recipe.
- Place the pumpkin in an oven-safe pot and pour the milk in. Set it over medium heat and bring it to a low simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the pumpkin simmers, wash the millet by placing it in a strainer and rinsing it with water while working it with your hands until the water runs clear.
- After the pumpkin has simmered for 10 minutes, add the washed millet, sugar, and salt. Stir everything together and return it to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes until the millet has softened. Stir gently every few minutes.
- While the kasha is simmering, set an oven rack to the bottom rung and preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
- When the millet has softened, set the covered pot into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take the baked kasha out of the oven and serve it forth.