Hutsul traditions attract inhabitants with their secrets and secrets. One has only to recall the famous film by Sergei Parajanov “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors”, as in our imagination there are images of mountain Carpathians, clean springs, birch trembits and forest mavoks that hide among trees and lure random travelers into their arms. It is in the midst of this pristine beauty that people live, who wear embroidered national costumes, raise sheep and, of course, prepare a traditional dish for the region - banosh. The smell of the fire certainly gives it a special charm. But if you cook this dish at home, it will turn out no less delicious.
Banosh Secrets
There is nothing complicated in preparing the dish. Banosh, the recipe of which was invented by the Hutsuls, is the soul of their cuisine. This kind of cornmeal porridge is boiled in milk, cream or sour cream. For Western Ukraine and the surrounding regions of Romania, the dish is everyday, it often appears on the tables of local residents. If you visit the Transcarpathian region, the historical homeland of the banosh, you can taste the porridge not only in any restaurant, but also visiting local people. Residents here are very welcoming guests and are always happy to visit tourists.
The dish is especially popular in the Rakhovsky district. Every year there is held a festival dedicated to banosh, where you can try different variations of porridge. It used to be considered a dish of the poor. Almost all local sheep were raised. A banosh was made when there was nothing edible left in the house, except for a handful of cereals and a couple of spoons of sour cream. Today, not a single chic feast or Hutsul-style wedding is complete without this delicacy.
The subtleties of cooking
If you come to the Carpathians, then only men will catch this dish. “Porridge does not tolerate female hands,” the Hutsuls joke, mysteriously conjuring above a huge pot with a gurgling delicacy. The thing is that sheep breeding is the traditional work of the stronger sex, therefore, dishes associated with it, automatically become the prerogative of the heads of families.
Banosh porridge, the recipe of which is sacredly kept in any Hutsul family, is saturated not only with smoke from a fire, but also with various legends. They say that they named her by the name of the local gutsul. Once upon a time, Banosh gazda, known throughout the region for its love of work, lived in these places. After a hard day spent in the field, he came home, where his wife brought him nutritious foods to restore strength and energy - corn porridge seasoned with fragrant pieces of lard sizzling after the fire. At the same time, she said: “Eat, Banosh, eat.” From here came the name of the treat: it was immediately picked up by the locals and, widespread throughout the district, it quickly took root in every Transcarpathian hut.
Main ingredients
If you want to pamper your household with a traditional Hutsul dish, then prepare a banosh in milk. The recipe includes the following main components: 400 grams of corn grits, 100 gr. sheep cheese - feta cheese, 50 gr. smoked bacon. The basis is usually taken sour cream and milk - 250 ml each, but instead of the latter, you can safely use cream. The main thing is that they should not be in store production, but completely homely, natural.
Cornmeal must be sieved through a sieve. Ideally, if it is finely ground, in this case the porridge will turn out to be more uniform and tender. It is advisable to use sour cream not fresh: it is better if it stands before this for two or three days in the refrigerator. The Hutsuls kept it in the barn so that it would not sour. We do not have such a room, therefore, in a pinch, the balcony will fit, unless, of course, outside the window it is not + 30º. By the way, season banos with greaves from bacon, but you can also use dill or paprika to taste as seasoning.
Classic Banosh
This dish includes all of the above ingredients, the proportions of which are designed for two persons. A classic recipe is provided for cooking in cauldrons. Hutsul banosh in accordance with it is prepared on sour cream from sheep’s milk. You can replace this component with cream: they will not spoil the taste, but, on the contrary, will bring some zest to the dish.
We start with a simple one. Dilute sour cream with a small amount of water or vegetable broth, pour into a cauldron and bring to a boil. Next, take cornmeal: pour a small stream into the boiler, constantly stirring the liquid so that it does not burn. Add salt and pepper to taste. Porridge is considered ready when it has reached a thick consistency and has become like semolina. After that, we put it with a wooden spoon or a scoop in deep plates, sprinkle with cheese, finely chopped previously, and also with cracklings - small pieces of bacon, fried in a pan until crusted. Do not mix ingredients. The dish should be served hot.
Ingredients for Banosh in a slow cooker
Unfortunately, we do not live in the mountains. Bonfires with bowlers are available to ordinary urban people only in rare cases: during a hike or vacation in the village. Therefore, in order to prepare a delicious dish, modern people have to make some adjustments to the classic recipe. Bananas with feta cheese - it is delicious and, of course, very useful. But in city supermarkets and markets it is not always possible to find sheep’s cheese, therefore it can be replaced with the usual: hard Russian or Dutch, as well as processed.
Based on this, we will need the following components:
- 600 gr milk.
- 450 gr sour cream homemade or purchased (20% fat content).
- 450 gr corn grits (approximately 3 multi-cups).
- 200-300 gr. feta cheese or other cheese.
- 100 gr. bacon.
- Butter and vegetable oil.
- Salt and pepper.
If for some reason you do not eat lard, then it can be replaced with mushrooms. They blend perfectly with cheese and corn porridge. Using ordinary mushrooms, you can cook mushroom banosh. The recipe for cooking in a slow cooker will be slightly different from the classic version.
Basic recipe
We turn on the multicooker, setting the "Frying" mode in it. Pour a little vegetable oil (40-50 g.) Into the bowl. While it is heating, finely chop the onion. It is not necessary to use it, but since we do not have a cauldron that gives the dish a specific taste, we try to add a twist to another way. And onions are perfect for this purpose.
Grate the cheese. Mushrooms cut into plates. First, send the onions to the boiling oil. After it acquires a golden hue, add the mushrooms to it and passé them together. When the components start the juice, we transfer them to a separate bowl. I thoroughly wash the bowl of the multicooker and put cereal into it. Add milk, sour cream and spices. We select the buckwheat mode and cook porridge for 35 minutes. When the time is up, using the "Preheat" function, we tom our banosh for 30-40 minutes. The recipe in the multicooker is designed for the fact that in the end the porridge will turn out to be friable and quite boiled. We spread it, hot and freshly cooked, spread on plates, grease with butter, sprinkle with cheese and spread mushrooms with onions on top.
Other types of banosh in a slow cooker
Our imagination is the source of new variations of the dish. Do not be afraid to experiment to make a banosh to your liking and in your own individual interpretation.
To cook porridge, first you need to thoroughly rinse it under running water and pour into a slow cooker. Pour the cereal on top with a mixture of milk and sour cream, adding sugar and salt to taste. By the way, if the device does not have the function “Buckwheat”, then you can cook porridge with other modes: “Milk porridge” or “Stewing”.
While porridge is cooked for half an hour in a slow cooker, fry onions and carrots in a pan, as well as chopped brisket or minced meat. We spread the meat filling on top of the porridge. By the way, women also often use cottage cheese. The product has the qualities that make banosh cooked in a multicooker the most useful and nutritious. A recipe with mushrooms and feta cheese makes it possible to cook a strikingly delicious dish. But with cottage cheese, porridge comes out no less appetizing.
Meet the Banosh “brother” - Tokan
Very often, these two dishes are confused or believe that there is no difference between them. But this is a gross mistake. Banosh and Tokan are really very similar, but fundamental differences between them still exist. Firstly, a tokan is cooked in water. A layer of porridge, laid out in a multicooker bowl, is poured with water or a light vegetable broth and cooked for 30–40 minutes. Such a dish, due to the lack of sour cream, is lighter and less nutritious.
Secondly, the filling in the tokan is not laid out from above, but between the layers of porridge. That is, part of the finished cereal is transferred to a dish, sprinkled with feta cheese, grated cheese or cottage cheese. Next is another layer of porridge. The leftovers of the filling and some cracklings fried in a pan are poured on top. Layers of a tokan can be as many as you like, while the more there are, the tastier the dish turns out. Thirdly, the banosh is a native of the Rakhiv region of Transcarpathia. The tokan recipe is more used by residents of the neighboring Tyachiv region of the same Ukrainian region.
Banosh Benefit
The main component of the dish is corn grits, which is rich in fiber. It perfectly cleanses the intestines, while preventing the development of putrefactive processes in the body. The selenium contained in it protects against stress and slows down aging. Porridge is recommended for children and the elderly, as it contains a large amount of carotene and strengthens the immune system. Also, it does not cause allergies.
Banosh, the recipe of which is described above, is useful for people suffering from anemia. It contains vitamins E and B12. Pregnant women, who often suffer from a lack of folic acid, simply can not do without the presence of porridge on the menu. It should be the basis of their diet. Also in the jar there is magnesium, potassium and phosphorus - trace elements that contribute to the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
But it is worth noting that with all the advantages of the dish, it also has a number of contraindications. So, banosh is very high-calorie, therefore it is not recommended for people prone to obesity, and those who have high cholesterol levels. It is also banned for patients with gastrointestinal problems.