I was inspired by Chef Christina Xenos’ recipe for a mushroom risotto that she made for an event that I recently attended, using trahana instead of rice.
And so, I made a pumpkin trahana risotto with the same principles. And it came out quite divine!!!
We Greeks love our trahana! It is the Ancient Greek version of instant soup. It is made of a wheat grain, like semolina, bulgur, cracked wheat and such, that is cooked and fermented with sour milk, buttermilk or yogurt and is full of probiotics. This was a way to preserve the excess sheep’s milk.
Then it is spread out thin on sheets or screens to dry out in the hot August breeze. Once it has dried out, it is broken up and grated to make smaller pellets. And those pellets, when boiled in water, create a creamy soup. It’s also known as a farmers or shepherds breakfast.
And while most of us use it to make a soup, it’s great to know that it can be used in a few more creative ways as well.
It’s actually perfect for risotto. It comes together much quicker than rice because of its instant soup qualities.
Ingredients:
1 cup sour trahana
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup broth (any broth you love)
1/4 yellow onion (very finely minced)
1 garlic clove
1 carrot, diced or shredded if you prefer.
1 cinnamon stick
2 allspice beads
A few leaves of dried sage
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup feta (plus more to garnish)
2 tbsp butter
Directions:
In a medium sized pot, sautee the onion, garlic , & carrots to soften in a drizzle of olive oil, on low. Add the broth and pumpkin puree, bringing it all to a boil along with the cinnamon stick, allspice, and sage. Add in the trahana.
Bring it all to a boil & turn down to a simmer. When it starts to absorb the liquid, stir it continuously. If you feel you need more liquid because the trahana is not fully cooked or it is a little too thick, add 1/4 cup of water at a time. Stir in feta cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Add a little butter to the pot to make silky!
Serve with more feta, some extra virgin olive oil and fresh parsley, or sage.
Kali Oreksi!
on xenia street 