Millet porridge over a fire, methods and recipes for cooking millet porridge in a cauldron over a fire.

Field porridge is a hearty meal cooked in the field over an open fire, something between a thick stew and thin porridge. Another name for it is kulesh. It was common in the southern Russian regions, known as Cossack porridge. In addition to cereals, usually millet, it included onions and lard.

Field porridge over a fire does not lose its significance in our time. This universal dish, in which almost anything is put, is very popular among tourists, hunters and fishermen. It is very convenient to cook it on a camping trip in a pot: you don’t need to prepare different dishes, all the products feel great in one dish, which combines both the soup and the second one.

There is no single recipe for porridge over a fire, although the main ingredients remain the same - cereals (usually millet), lard and onions. It is also customary to add potatoes to field porridge.

Classic version

For field porridge you need a lot of products:

potatoes – 0.5 kg;
water - one liter;
millet – 1.5 cups;
pork lard – 200 grams;
onion – 300 grams;
dried herbs;
sweet bell pepper – 1 piece;
Bay leaf;
bitter red pepper - to taste;
hops-suneli – ½ teaspoon;
salt.

Preparation:

Wash and soak the millet in advance so that it cooks faster. When soaked, its cooking time will be the same as that of potatoes.
Light a fire, place a tripod over it and hang a pot.
Cut the lard into pieces and place in a pot to melt and form cracklings.
Add finely chopped onion, sweet pepper, spices to the pot with lard and fry.
Pour in water and add millet so that the water completely covers the contents of the pot. Cook with constant stirring until boiling.
Once it boils, add the diced potatoes. If necessary, add water to cover the contents of the pot. Cover the dish with a lid and cook until the potatoes and millet are fully cooked. Periodically lift the lid and stir.

As soon as the potatoes and millet are ready, you can remove them from the heat.

Readiness is determined by taking samples. It is impossible to say the exact cooking time; it depends on the heat of the fire and the volume of the pot.

Cossack kulesh recipe

Traditional Cossack kulesh made from millet is being prepared. The dish turns out nourishing and flavorful.

To prepare it you need the following products:

can of stew;
200 grams of millet;
ten small potatoes;
150 grams of lard;
five small onions;
water;
greenery;
salt.

To prepare Cossack klesh you will need millet.
Cossack kulesh is prepared quickly enough:

Water is poured into a pot placed over the fire. Then add finely chopped onion and peeled whole potatoes.
The millet is thoroughly washed and added to the boiling mass. The field of this kulesh is salted and boiled until the potatoes are completely cooked.
The onion and three whole boiled potatoes should be removed from the pot and mashed thoroughly. Then this puree is sent back to the kettle.

Herbs and spices are added to taste. Be sure to add a bay leaf at the end.

Soldatskaya

Ingredients:

millet – 2 cups;
onions – 3 pieces;
lard – 150 grams;
potatoes – 0.5 kg;
chicken eggs – 5 pieces;
salt.

Place pieces of lard into a frying pan. When it melts, add finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat to allow the frying to cool. Hang a cauldron over the fire, pour water into it and add salt. When the water boils, add the diced potatoes and washed millet and cook until tender. Break the raw eggs into the cooled roast and stir. Combine with the porridge when it is almost ready and keep on fire for another 5 minutes.

Soldier's porridge over a campfire is often prepared using buckwheat.

Process description

Despite the simplicity of this field porridge recipe, you must strictly adhere to the recommended algorithm. Place the stew into a pan filled with boiling water. After twenty minutes, 500 milliliters of broth are taken from there, and peeled and chopped potatoes are added to the remaining liquid. If desired, you can add chopped carrots to the future field porridge.

As soon as the potatoes have softened sufficiently, the washed millet is immersed in the pan and left to simmer over low heat. Add diced onion to the almost cooked cereal and boil for another ten minutes.

Now it's time to deal with the broth that was poured earlier. Raw chicken eggs are dissolved in it, lightly beat and put it all into a common pan. Pour a glass of vodka into the almost finished porridge, add salt and chopped herbs. Mix all this well and simmer for several minutes. Then turn off the burner and leave the dish for a quarter of an hour. Now you know a simple recipe for field porridge. It will be more flavorful on the fire. Prepare it in the same sequence as on the stove. Therefore, you can easily cook such porridge on a picnic or while fishing.

Cossack kulesh

Ingredients:

millet – 200 grams;
potatoes - 10 tubers;
pork lard – 150 grams;
pork stew – 1 can;
onions – 5 small onions;
salt;
greenery;
spices.

Pour water into a pot, add onions and chopped potatoes (whole potatoes if small), hang over the fire and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, add the washed millet, add salt and continue cooking. When the potatoes and onions are soft, take out a few potatoes and onions, mash them and put them back into the pot.

At the end, add the stew, mix everything and add spices and herbs

Option with milk

A dish cooked using this technology has a special taste and aroma. It is good because it can be fed not only to the older, but also to the younger generation. Its preparation requires simple ingredients, the purchase of which will not in any way affect your wallet. This recipe for field porridge involves the use of a food kit, which includes:

A glass of millet.
A pair of onions.
A glass of cow's milk.
100-150 grams of smoked brisket.
Medium carrot.
A couple of cloves of garlic.
Salt, bay leaf and parsley.

Pearl barley

This porridge perfectly restores strength, so it is ideal as a hiking meal.

Ingredients:

How to stew potatoes and meat in a cauldron

pearl barley – 0.8 kg;
onion – 2 medium onions;
stew - 2 cans;
garlic – 3 cloves;
carrots – 2 pieces;
cold water – 3 liters;
butter - by eye.

Preparation:

Wash the pearl barley and pour it into a dry frying pan, fry until golden brown. This will speed up the cooking of the porridge.
When the cereal is ready, pour it into a kettle or cauldron and fill it with water. Cook covered until boiling.
In a frying pan, fry chopped onions, carrots, garlic along with stew and spices. When the porridge boils, add the frying mixture to it, stir and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.

Remove from heat, let sit and spread with butter.

Semolina porridge over the fire with stewed meat

This unusual dish will surely arouse the interest of many. Believe me, the taste is worth trying to cook it. In nature, on a bright sunny day, semolina porridge cooked over a fire, and even with stew, will seem surprisingly tasty to you.

Ingredients:

Water – 3 l.;
semolina – 400 gr.;
onion - 8 medium heads;
eggs – 8 pcs.;
stew (beef or pork) – about 1 kg (look at the weight of the cans)

Salted brisket can replace the stew; you only need 500 grams of it.

Salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:

Hard-boil the eggs separately and leave them aside.
The fat from the stew or finely chopped brisket is placed in a kettle and heated.
Chopped onions are fried in the resulting fat until golden brown.
If the porridge is prepared with stewed meat, meat is added at this stage.
Gradually, semolina is added to the same fat and meat fried until golden brown. Stir it all the time until all the liquid is absorbed.
Add hot and salted water, stir all the ingredients until smooth, cover with a lid and leave to simmer, wrapped in something warm, for 15-20 minutes.
Before serving, add finely chopped eggs to the semolina.

Ketchup, soy sauce, grated cheese or other dressings can be individually added to each serving.

Berries and fruits are an excellent addition to sweet porridge.

Hercules milk porridge over the fire

Hercules has one clear advantage over other cereals - the flakes cook much faster than unprocessed grains. At the same time, oatmeal is very nutritious and healthy.

Ingredients:

Hercules – 800 gr.;
water - 4 l.;
condensed milk – 400 gr. (1 jar);
salt and sugar - to taste;
butter or ghee - to taste.

Preparation:

Pour water into the boiler and bring to a boil, add salt.
Add the flakes and, stirring vigorously, cook until tender.
At the very end of cooking, add condensed milk, stir thoroughly and bring to a boil again, then immediately remove from heat.
At the same stage, you can add raisins or dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, apples) to the porridge.
It is advisable to wrap the pot covered with a lid warm and leave to steep for about 5 minutes.

When serving, you can add berries, fresh fruits, and nuts to the porridge.

Millet porridge over a fire (kulesh)

The word “kulesh” itself is of Hungarian origin and means “millet, millet.” In modern cooking it is known as an ancient Cossack dish, cooked by soldiers on campaigns. Flavored with lard and seasoned with onions, millet porridge cooks quickly enough over a fire, it turns out nutritious and very tasty. Depending on the availability of products, potatoes, peas, oatmeal, and other ingredients could be added to the millet. If it’s cooked thinner, it’ll be a stew; if it’s cooked more abruptly, it’ll be porridge. This way the Cossack will be full and cheerful.

Today, tourists and fishermen prepare kulesh from various cereals, using either buckwheat, pearl barley, or wheat. But its classic version is still millet (millet).

Ingredients:

Millet - slightly less than half the volume in which the porridge will be prepared;
lard (the best option is undercuts);
onion;
stew;
butter;
salt.

Preparation:

We wash the millet cereal well, pour boiling water 2 fingers above the level of the cereal and leave it to steam near the fire or wrapped warmly.
In a separate container, fry finely chopped lard until cracklings appear.
Add chopped onion to the lard and fry until golden brown.
Combine the roast with millet, add the stew, and salt to taste.
Bring the porridge to a boil, then remove from heat.
All that remains is to add the oil and let the porridge brew in a covered bowl for 15-20 minutes. This porridge, with the aroma of smoke from a fire, is enjoyed with pleasure even by those who usually do not like millet.

If available and desired, you can add chopped paprika, coarsely grated carrots, and herbs to the kulesh. By introducing its own note into the overall melody, each component will give the dish original shades and make it unique.

Front-line buckwheat porridge over the fire

Buckwheat porridge with stew, cooked over a fire according to a 1941 recipe, is an excellent option for a hot dish for a picnic on May 9th. While enjoying this porridge, it is worth remembering our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who defended the country from invaders.

Ingredients:

Buckwheat – 1 kg;
onions – 4 medium-sized heads or 2 large ones;
stew (the main selection criterion is the absence of soy) - 4 cans;
salt, spices, herbs to taste;
fresh lard for frying - about 300 gr.

Preparation:

Finely chop the lard and throw it into a cauldron fixed over the fire. Melt until golden cracklings appear.
Throw randomly chopped onions into the lard.
When the onions are browned, put the stew into the cauldron and then add the buckwheat. Stirring, fry all ingredients for 3-5 minutes.
Salt to taste (remember that the stew already contains some salt and spices).
Fill with water so that the cereal is covered by about 2 fingers.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the porridge is completely cooked.

When cooked over a fire, buckwheat turns out aromatic and very special. Before serving, sprinkle it with fresh herbs, add rye bread (for example, “Borodinsky”) - and you will feel that same field spirit that brings soldiers together so much.

The famous soldier's porridge is an ideal dish for the May 9 holiday.

Pearl barley “field” porridge on the fire

Most of us underestimate pearl barley, practically not consuming it. However, when cooked over a fire, it turns out surprisingly tasty. In addition, as can be seen from the table, pearl barley is the clear leader in carbohydrate content. This means that it restores strength extremely quickly, which is what is required on a hike.

Ingredients:

Barley – 800 gr.;
stewed meat – 2 cans of 525 g each;
garlic – 3-4 cloves;
onion – 1 large head;
carrots – 2 medium size;
butter - enough so as not to spoil the porridge.

Preparation:

Place thoroughly washed pearl barley in a dry frying pan and fry until golden brown. This procedure, on the one hand, reduces the cooking time (the same can be done with buckwheat and rice, oatmeal and wheat), and on the other, it more fully reveals the aroma of the porridge.
Pour the prepared cereal into a cauldron, add cold water (3-4 liters) and leave on the fire, covering with a lid.
While the porridge comes to a boil, you need to fry the stew, chopped garlic, carrots, onions, and spices in a frying pan.
Combine the finished frying with the porridge, mix evenly and leave slightly to the side of the fire to “cook”.

When the liquid has completely evaporated, add butter and the dish can be served almost immediately.

From rice with meat

Proper field porridge is cooked over a fire. This is exactly the most delicious, thanks to the smoke of the fire and an excellent appetite in the fresh air. If you wish, you can cook it at home.

Another version of field porridge is rice with pork. Pork can be replaced with beef if desired.

Ingredients:

round rice – 0.8 kg;
boiling water – 4 liters;
vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon;
carrots – 3 pieces;
pork – 1 kilogram;
bay leaf – 3 pieces;
ground black pepper;
salt.

Preparation:

Wash the meat thoroughly, wipe it with a napkin and cut into small pieces of arbitrary shape.
Cut the onion into half rings, carrots into strips. Rinse the rice thoroughly.
Heat a pot or cauldron, pour vegetable oil into it and add onions. Fry over moderate heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. After this, put the pieces of meat into the pot, add salt and pepper and pour 1.5 liters of boiling water. Bring to a boil and cook covered over low heat for about 2 hours. If necessary, add another liter of water.
Place the carrots and bay onions in the pot and cook for an hour and a half, adding water if necessary. Take out the bay leaf, take a sample, add salt and pepper if necessary.
Place the rice in the pot, add boiling water so that it is 5 cm higher than the food. Now cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, remembering to stir.
Remove the pot from the fire. The liquid should not completely boil away; it should cover the grounds by 1 centimeter.
Wrap the pot and leave for two hours.

Hot stewed porridge can be placed in bowls

Chicken option

This very flavorful and satisfying dish is ideal for a family dinner. It is prepared relatively quickly and simply. Since this recipe for field porridge requires the presence of a certain set of components, stock up on everything you need in advance. This time in your home you should find:

A couple of liters of chicken broth.
A glass of millet cereal.
300 grams of chicken fillet.
3 medium potatoes.
Egg.
50 grams of lard.
A quarter stick of butter.
Salt and fresh herbs.

Secrets of field porridge

Cooking camp food is different from cooking at home.

A few secrets of delicious porridge over an open fire:

To speed up the process, before heading out into nature, pour boiling water over the cereal in a thermos so that it steams. Upon arrival, you only need to cook it for 10 minutes. If you are planning an overnight trip, you can pour the cereal in a pot overnight and wrap it in something warm.
Cooking outdoors over a fire will require more water than at home on a stove. You can take 3-4 glasses of water per glass of cereal. Pre-steamed porridge requires less water.
The cereal should be placed in already boiled water and cooked, stirring constantly. If the cereal has been steamed, there is no need to stir it, but just wait until it boils.
The water must be salted in advance.
The pot must be hung strictly above the flame so that the porridge cooks evenly.

Field porridge is not as difficult to prepare as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to follow the basic rules and approach the matter with soul.

Millet porridge with berries.

Required: 1.5 cups of millet, 1/2 liter of milk, 4 tbsp. l. currants, 4 tbsp. l. blackberries, 3 tbsp. l. Sahara. Bring the milk to a boil and add a little millet into it. Cook for 10 minutes, then add sugar, turn off the heat and let the porridge simmer on hot coals for another 10 minutes, close the lid tightly. After this, add water and mix carefully.

Millet cereals intended for cooking porridge must be thoroughly washed, since their surface may contain substances that give the cooked cereal a bitter taste (this is due to the spoilage of cereal fats during long-term storage).

millet cereal, 5 glasses of water, 50 g butter, salt. Pour the washed cereal into boiling salted water and cook for 25 minutes. Then drain the water and transfer the cereal to another bowl. Add the oil and, tightly closing the lid, place on the coals for 15 minutes. The finished porridge can be eaten with sugar or with any berries and sugar.

Kulesh on the fire: pork recipe

We talked above about how to make kulesh from stewed meat. It should be noted that this method of preparing a hearty lunch is good to use if you do not have the opportunity to use fresh meat. Otherwise, it is better to add fatty pork to this dish.

So, to prepare kulesh over a fire from a fresh meat product, we will need all the same ingredients that were presented in the first recipe, but with the only difference that instead of stew, we need to use fresh and very fatty pork.

How to cook semolina porridge while traveling?

Our dining room (Lake Ulmanga)
The secret of preparing porridge is that it is without lumps.

To prepare semolina porridge without lumps, first pour water into the pot, add milk (dry or condensed), add salt and sugar and bring to a boil.

Then stirring constantly. Pour semolina in a fine stream at the rate of 0.7 liters per 3 liters of liquid, and stirring constantly, bring to a boil, cook for 3-5 minutes, remove from heat and cover with a lid.

Let it sit for a while and the porridge is ready! The result is semolina porridge with the ideal consistency without any lumps in the milk.

Add oil as desired. Or add lingonberries, pureed with sugar. It is not only tasty, but also beautiful - a combination of white porridge and red lingonberry jelly! Are you salivating already?! Bon appetit!