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Kutia
Christmas Eve wheat berries with poppy seeds, honey and walnuts
Kutia is the first dish tasted on Ukrainian Christmas Eve, once the first star appears in the sky: a bowl of whole wheat berries mixed with ground poppy seed 'milk', honey, walnuts and raisins. Families in Lviv, Ternopil and the villages of the west traditionally throw a spoonful at the ceiling for luck and set a bowl aside for departed relatives, and the head of the house greets the evening with it. It is eaten at room temperature, sweet, nutty and chewy, and the spoon must touch every guest's plate. Chef's tip: soak and grind the poppy seed until it turns white and milky; common mistake is using it whole, which leaves kutia gritty and grey instead of creamy.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the wheat
For the poppy seed
To mix
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 9 oz whole wheat berries and put it in a pot with 6 ¼ cups water and 1 pinch salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat, partly covered, for 1 to 1½ hours, until the grains are tender and some have burst. Drain and cool.
90 minStep 2: Meanwhile cover 3 ½ oz blue poppy seeds with 1 cup boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Drain through a very fine sieve or cloth.
Step 3: Grind the poppy seed in a mortar, a spice grinder or with a stick blender, a little at a time, for 3–5 minutes, until it turns pale grey-white and smells milky.
5 minStep 4: Stir 4 tbsp honey into 4 tbsp warm water or uzvar until dissolved.
Step 5: Mix the cooled wheat with the ground poppy, 2 ⅞ oz walnuts, 2 ⅛ oz raisins and 1 ¾ oz dried apricots. Pour over the honey water and stir until everything is evenly coated and glossy. It should be moist, not soupy; add a spoon more uzvar if dry.
Step 6: Cover and leave at least 1 hour so the wheat absorbs the honey. Serve at room temperature. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kutia take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
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