Kutia recipe – Kutya recipe

Fantastically simple! Properly boiled wheat berries, ground poppy seeds, chopped walnuts, fragrant honey – all of these make a wonderful kutia or kutya (both words are used) ! The kutia recipe (kutya recipe) is not easy but kutia is main dish for the Ukrainian Crismas Eve.

Pour 2 l of cold water over the wheat berries in a large (not less than 5 l) pot and soak it for 8-10 hours (better overnight).

Stir the wheat berries in order to lift the sediment then drain the water. Pour over 1,5 l of fresh water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. As soon as the bubbles appear (be carefull the contents might boil over), reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile scald the poppy seeds, cover and let it sit for 1 hour. They should now be done. Take it off the stove and wrap the pot completely with a thick towel. Initiallly this was done with fur, a thick blanket or quilt (you may still use any of these). This allows all the heat to be trapped in the pot, and `steams` the wheat berries to a beautiful fluffy berry.

Then drain the poppy seeds (slowly not to splash any of the seeds). Grind the poppy seeds – traditionally a mortar and pestle were used, but you can use a food processor, or a hand held grinder (grind twice).

Check the walnuts to make sure there are no walnut shells. Chop the walnuts with a knife or rolling pin (your choice).

Combine the wheat berries, poppy seeds and walnuts. Now add the honey, a little at a time depending on your taste. Be careful, you don’t want to drown your kutia in honey. If you are used to a more liquid kutia, add a little boiled water.

Here you are! The video of the traditinal Kutia recipe (Kutya recipe) for Christmas Eve.

Other recipes of Eve’s menu here in the site:
– borshch with vushka (step-by-step recipe with photo and video)
– пісна підлива з сушених грибів (fast and vegetarian gravy with dried wild mushrooms)
– пісні голубці з картоплею (fast and vegetarian holubtsi – cabbage rolls with potato)
– stuffed fish
– книш з гречаною кашею (pie with buckwheat)
– домашній хліб (home-made bread)
– узвар із сухофруктів (compote made of dried fruit)