Tovchanka

Tovchanka is a traditional side dish originating from the Ternopil region. The dish is usually made with a combination of potatoes, beans, poppy seeds, onions, sugar, salt, and pepper. The beans are soaked in water and boiled until tender. The potatoes are peeled, cut, boiled in salted water, and added to the beans. The poppy seeds are soaked in warm water, ground, and added to the potatoes and beans. The mixture is enriched with finely chopped onions, sugar, salt, and pepper. It is pounded and mashed until everything is well-blended. If the dish is thick, a bit of leftover cooking water from the potatoes can be added to make it a bit thinner.