Hey! It’s the last day before the long weekend. I am READY. SO ready. Ready to sleep in (as much as Crawley allows; he’s a stinker), ready to be still like vegetables, lay like broccoli, watch movies, laugh, eat and be with my family. And ready to say goodbye to 2018.
We’re all still plugging through a long December, and after today, the days will get just a little bit longer, slowly but, after just a week surely noticeable, making it just a little bit easier to drag ourselves out of bed each morning. And, though it’ll still be darker than we wish, this kutya is sure to help us all with the latter .
We’re in a bit of a ‘warm spell’ here (term used lightly), but warm, comforting bowls of things are still the song of the season. While this one can be eaten warm or cold, I’ll opt for warm on these early winter days. I’m guessing you’re with me on that, yah?
According to Bois de Jasmine, this kutya (or kutia) Ukranian wheat berry dish is often served on Christmas Eve, and symbolizes meaning of fertility and abundance. It’s simple, with few ingredients, and reminds me of the sort of dish that my grandmother or her generation would have eaten as well, boasting the same peripheral components of my favorite Hungarian Christmas poppyseed roll: poppyseed, walnuts and honey. I added a homemade pear compote for a touch more sweetness, but feel free to use any fruit, dried or fresh, that you want.
Make it personal.
Warning: It does take a bit of overnight prep to soak the wheat berries, but you’ll have enough to zap it in the microwave for a reheat. The rest comes together rather quickly, leaving you more time to be with your family.
Kutya
A traditional Ukranian Christmas eve pudding, Kutya is a cozy dish of wheat berries, poppy, seeds, walnut and pears
Ingredients
- 1 cup wheat berries
- 1/4 cup poppyseed
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup milk or cream, warmed
- 3 ripe pears
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium bowl, add the wheat berries, and cover in warm water, with enough water to cover 2-inches above the wheat berries. Let soak overnight.
- Step 2 The next day, add the wheat berries and their water to a slow cooker, adding more water if necessary to keep them covered. Cook ~3 hours until the wheat berries are tender, and slightly chewy.
- Step 3 While the berries are cooking, prepare the pears. Dice the pears and put over low heat with the cinnamon stick and simmer until they are soft and some of the liquid has come out. Set aside.
- Step 4 While the berries are cooking, prepare the poppy seeds by covering them in boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes and drain. Repeat. Grind in a coffee grinder blender or by using mortar and pestle to crush the seeds. Set aside.
- Step 5 When the berries are done, drain them of all excess liquid.
- Step 6 To a large bowl, add the wheat berries, ground poppy seeds, walnuts, honey and milk. Mix well, and top with cooked pears to serve.
- Step 7 Adapted- https://boisdejasmin.com/2011/01/ukrainian-wheat-berry-pudding-with-poppyseeds-and-honey-kutya-kutia.html
