Christmas Kutia

A festive and traditional dish for Christmas Eve. Kutia is usually made from wheat grains, less often - from barley and pearl barley. Later, it also began to be made from rice. In my recipe, I use pearl barley (couldn't find wheat grains). Kutia turns out fragrant, hearty, and "rich."

The ingredients that make up Kutia have symbolic significance. Poppy seeds symbolize abundance, honey symbolizes a sweet life after death, grains symbolize resurrected life. It is believed that the more components in Kutia, the greater the harvest will be, and the family will be wealthy!

Pearl Barley

1 cup (grains)

Poppy Seeds

1/2 cup

Raisins

1/2 cup (light)

Walnuts

1/2 cup

Honey

3-4 tbsp

Salt

pinch

To prepare Christmas Kutia, soak the wheat (pearl barley) for about 6 hours. Then boil it for 1.5 hours.

Pour a cup of boiling water over the poppy seeds and let them steep for 30 minutes. Rinse the raisins, pour boiling water over them, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Finely chop the walnuts and lightly toast them in a dry skillet to enhance the flavor.

Drain the water from the cooled poppy seeds, grind them in a mortar and pestle or use a blender. You need to create a poppy seed milk.

Combine the wheat (pearl barley), walnuts, poppy seeds, honey, raisins, and salt. When serving Christmas Kutia, mound it and decorate with sprigs of mint, candied fruits, and nuts.

(5/5)