Holidays & entertaining
Kutia (kutya)
A ritual dish of Ukrainian and Russian cuisine, served at the Orthodox Christmas Eve supper. Cooked wheat grains are mixed with honey, poppy seeds and nuts, with a soft yet crunchy texture.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Spices & seasoning
Optional extras
Instructions
- The day before, rinse the wheat under cold water, then soak it in a large volume of water for 12 hours.
- Drain the wheat and place it in a saucepan with fresh water covering it by two fingers. Bring to the boil, then simmer covered for 1 h to 1 h 15, until the grains are tender but still firm.
- Drain and leave to cool completely on a tea towel.
- Meanwhile, soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 30 minutes, then crush them in a mortar or blend them with a little water until you have a white milk.
- In a bowl, mix the honey, vanilla and poppy milk.
- Add the cooled wheat, walnuts, raisins and orange peel. Mix gently.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavours develop.
- Serve chilled, sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds if you like.
Variations and tips
Coconut milk version. Replace the poppy milk with coconut milk for a creamier version.
Using what you have. If whole wheat is hard to find, use pearl barley or cooked brown rice, easier to find at the supermarket.
More ideas
Lyonnaise
Savoyard
Savoyard
French
Burgundian
Savoyard
French
Greek
Original Ecomely recipe.