Buckwheat and pork patties (Hrechanyky)

1. Rinse the buckwheat and cook it in twice its volume of salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed, then let it cool.

2. Soften the finely chopped onion in a tablespoon of oil until translucent and work it thoroughly with the cooled buckwheat, the minced meat, the egg, salt and pepper.

3. With wet hands shape 8 oval patties about 2 cm thick and coat them in breadcrumbs.

4. Fry them in the remaining oil over medium heat for 4 minutes per side until golden brown, then transfer to an ovenproof dish or pan.

5. Whisk the tomato purée with the sour cream and water until smooth, season with salt, pour over the patties, cover and braise over low heat (or in a 180 °C oven) for 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve with mashed potatoes or a fresh vegetable salad, with the sauce spooned over.

Tip: A thrifty invention of Ukrainian cooking: the buckwheat "stretches" the meat and makes it juicier at the same time – they're excellent made with leftover buckwheat, too.