Name: Gluten-Free Polish Meatballs (Pulpety) in Tomato Sauce with Buckwheat: Instant Pot Pot-in-Pot
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 600 g ground beef (about 1.3 lb. Pure beef, for the meatballs); 1 large egg (for the meatballs); 1 small onion, very finely diced or grated (about 70 g (2.5 oz) assumed for nutrition; no weight in the original recipe); 1 tsp dried marjoram (5 ml. Check the label); 1 tsp salt (5 ml); ½ tsp ground black pepper (2.5 ml); 1 to 2 tbsp cold water (15 to 30 ml, for juicier meatballs); 500 ml passata (strained tomatoes) (about 2 cups. Check the label); 200 ml gluten-free beef broth (about ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. Must be certified gluten-free); 1 tbsp tomato paste (15 ml, about 16 g. Check the label); 1 bay leaf; 2 allspice berries (whole); 1 pinch sugar (plus more to taste); salt and ground black pepper (to taste, for the sauce); 1 tsp cornstarch (corn starch) (5 ml, for thickening. Optional: stirred smooth in a little cold water. Check the label); 250 g buckwheat groats (whole kasha grains, about 9 oz. Raw (whole) groats. Use groats labeled gluten-free; check the pack); 450 ml water (a scant 2 cups, for the groats); 1 pinch salt (for the groats); 1 tsp butter or vegetable oil (5 ml, for the groats)

35 minTotal time

672kcal*

38 gProtein*

56 gCarbs*

*Per serving, estimate. Serves 4.

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These gluten-free Instant Pot meatballs are pulpety, the Polish beef meatballs, cooked in a simple tomato sauce and served with buckwheat groats (kasha). Everything cooks pot-in-pot: the meatballs and sauce sit in the pot, and the buckwheat cooks in a bowl on a trivet above them.

You form 12 to 16 beef meatballs, drop them raw into passata, gluten-free beef broth and tomato paste, set the bowl of groats on top and cook it all for 8 minutes under High Pressure with a 10 minute natural release.

The dish contains no gluten ingredients, but check the labels of the buckwheat groats, the broth, the tomato paste, the passata and the spices.

White square plate with two meatballs covered in tomato sauce, a pile of cooked buckwheat groats and a pool of orange-red tomato sauce on a polka-dot tablecloth

Gluten-Free Polish Meatballs (Pulpety) in Tomato Sauce with Buckwheat: Instant Pot Pot-in-Pot

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Prep Time 35

Total Time 35

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Polish

Servings 4 servings

Calories 672 kcal

Ingredients

600 g ground beef about 1.3 lb. Pure beef, for the meatballs
1 large egg for the meatballs
1 small onion, very finely diced or grated about 70 g (2.5 oz) assumed for nutrition; no weight in the original recipe
1 tsp dried marjoram 5 ml. Check the label
1 tsp salt 5 ml
½ tsp ground black pepper 2.5 ml
1 to 2 tbsp cold water 15 to 30 ml, for juicier meatballs
500 ml passata (strained tomatoes) about 2 cups. Check the label
200 ml gluten-free beef broth about ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. Must be certified gluten-free
1 tbsp tomato paste 15 ml, about 16 g. Check the label
1 bay leaf
2 allspice berries whole
1 pinch sugar plus more to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste, for the sauce
1 tsp cornstarch (corn starch) 5 ml, for thickening. Optional: stirred smooth in a little cold water. Check the label
250 g buckwheat groats whole kasha grains, about 9 oz. Raw (whole) groats. Use groats labeled gluten-free; check the pack
450 ml water a scant 2 cups, for the groats
1 pinch salt for the groats
1 tsp butter or vegetable oil 5 ml, for the groats

Instructions

Mix the meat. Put the ground beef, egg, finely diced or grated onion, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) of cold water for juicier meatballs.
Knead thoroughly until you have an even, binding mixture.
Shape the meatballs. With slightly moistened hands, form 12 to 16 even meatballs, each about the size of a table-tennis ball. Do not press too hard.
Make the sauce. Put the passata, gluten-free beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and allspice berries directly into the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot (or another electric pressure cooker).
Stir briefly with a spoon.
Add the meatballs. Carefully lay the raw meatballs side by side directly in the sauce.
Set the trivet. Carefully place a trivet with legs over or between the meatballs in the pot.
Fill the bowl. Rinse the groats and put them in a heatproof bowl (stainless steel or ovenproof glass) with 450 ml (a scant 2 cups) of water, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of butter or oil.
Stack the bowl. Set the bowl steadily on the trivet. Leave some room at the sides for the steam, and make sure the bowl does not block the lid.
Close the lid and set the pressure valve to Sealing.
Cook under pressure. Choose Pressure Cook (High Pressure) for 8 minutes. Timings may differ between models and brands of electric pressure cookers.
Release the pressure. Let the pressure drop by itself for 10 minutes (Natural Pressure Release), then release the remaining pressure carefully by hand (manual quick release).
Lift out the groats. Using oven mitts or tongs, lift the hot bowl out of the pot and fluff the buckwheat with a fork.
Take out the trivet.
Stir gently. Carefully stir the meatballs and sauce.
Thicken if you like. If you want a thicker sauce, set the pot to Sauté and stir in the cornstarch you have mixed smooth with a little cold water.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Serve the pulpety with the buckwheat.

Notes

Gluten check: the dish contains no gluten ingredients. Buckwheat itself has no gluten, but groats can be cross-contaminated, so buy groats labeled gluten-free and check the pack. Also check the labels of the beef broth (must be certified gluten-free), tomato paste, passata, marjoram, pepper and any spice blends, and the starch. Use clean tools to avoid cross-contact.

Doneness: ground beef is generally recommended to reach 160 F (71 C) inside. This is general food-safety guidance, not part of the original recipe: check the thickest meatball with a food thermometer before serving.

Settings: 8 minutes Pressure Cook (High Pressure) and a 10 minute natural release are the settings used in the Instant Pot. Another electric pressure cooker may need different timings.

Butter or oil: the groats can be cooked with either 1 tsp of butter or 1 tsp of vegetable oil.

Safety: use oven mitts or tongs to lift the hot bowl out of the pot.

Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from the ingredient list, not a lab analysis. Ground beef is assumed at 250 kcal per 100 g (about 20% fat), the groats are counted dry and the whole sauce is counted. Optional items, salt, pepper, herbs, bay leaf and allspice are not counted.

Keyword buckwheat kasha dinner, gluten-free instant pot meatballs, polish meatballs in tomato sauce, pot in pot instant pot, pulpety

Questions about Instant Pot pulpety

Why cook the buckwheat pot-in-pot?

The meatballs in their sauce and the groats cook together in one pressure cooker in a single 8 minute cycle. The groats sit in a heatproof bowl on a trivet with legs above the meatballs, so you only need one pot and one program.

Why leave room for steam and not block the lid?

Steam has to circulate around the bowl, and the lid has to close and seal properly. Set the bowl steadily on the trivet, leave some space at the sides and check that the bowl does not touch or block the lid.

What if the sauce is too thin?

This sauce is not cooked down, so it can be thin. If you want it thicker, set the pot to Sauté after releasing the pressure and stir in 1 tsp (5 ml) of cornstarch mixed smooth with a little cold water.

What is buckwheat, and is it gluten-free?

Buckwheat (in Poland, kasha) is a seed, not a grain, and it contains no gluten. Groats can still pick up traces of gluten grains during processing, so choose packages labeled gluten-free, and check the labels of the broth, tomato paste and spices too.