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Christmas Kutia

A traditional, sweet, very tasty holiday dish! Christmas kutia is a thick porridge of wheat berries with poppy seeds, raisins, and nuts. It comes out fragrant, nourishing, and wholesome. Since ancient times, people have welcomed the bright holiday of Christmas with this dish.

Anna

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Wheat berries (wheat)

Water

500

Poppy seeds

100

Raisins

100

Walnuts

100

Honey (to taste)

Sugar

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 14 % 6 g

Fats 26 % 11 g

Carbohydrates 60 % 26 g

223 kcal

GI: 8 / 23 / 69

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you cook kutia for Christmas? Gather your ingredients. Which wheat should you use? Buy hulled wheat — it's easiest and most reliable to get pre-processed wheat sold in bags, already steamed and ready to cook. Rinse the wheat 6-7 times. If the grain isn't polished, soak it overnight in cold water so it softens and cooks faster.
Step 2:

Plump the raisins in hot water, then pat them dry. Chop the nuts with a knife, toast them in a dry skillet (about 1-2 minutes), and rub off the skins between your palms. You can use almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, or peanuts instead of walnuts.
Step 3:

Put the rinsed grain in a heavy-bottomed pot, add water (400 ml), cover, and set over medium heat. When it boils, skim off the foam. After 10 minutes, add salt. Lower the heat to its minimum and keep cooking until done — the grains should be soft and fluffy. If the water cooks off before the grain is done, add a little hot water. If the porridge is done but liquid remains, wrap the pot tightly so the wheat steams.
Step 4:

Rinse the poppy seeds free of dust and debris, drain them in a sieve. Transfer to a small saucepan, add water (70 ml), and stir. Simmer over low heat for half an hour. When the water has cooked down and the poppy seeds thicken, pour in another 50 ml and stir. The poppy seeds should barely simmer — don't let them boil or bubble. Now grind the cooked poppy seeds with the sugar in a mortar, in a blender, or by running them through a meat grinder 2-3 times. You're aiming for "poppy-seed milk."
Step 5:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (wheat, poppy seeds, raisins, nuts) and add natural honey to taste. If you like, loosen it with some uzvar (dried-fruit compote) or boiled water. Serve the kutia warm.

If you made the kutia with unpolished wheat, add the honey right before serving — that kind of wheat can turn hard once honey is added.
Which honey is best? Use any natural honey (wildflower, linden, mustard, or mixed-herb). Thick honey can be thinned first with warm boiled water or uzvar.
How do you plump raisins? Cover well-rinsed raisins with hot water and leave them 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
For how to choose the perfect pot for soup, porridge, or pickling, see the guide to pots and pans.