Christmas Kutya with Nut Milk

Christmas Kutya with Nut Milk – recipe with photo, Ukrainian cuisine
Rating: 4.7 Votes: 3
Cooking Time:
1 hour
Recipe Yield:
700-800 g
Difficulty:
Medium recipe

Christmas Kutya with Nut Milk – 12 dishes should be present on the Christmas table, one and the most important thing is kutya. Kutia is different; it is made from pearl barley rice, but the best kutia is the one that is made from wheat grains. For kutia, they mainly prepare uzvar, since alcohol is not served on the table on Christmas Eve. However, not only uzvar was prepared earlier, but nut milk was also prepared, its other name is “milk nothing”. Any nuts for kutya and for milk are used, you can take walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Previously, there was no such abundance of candied fruits as in our time. Candied fruits were prepared in advance, back in the fall from watermelon peels. In no case do not add honey to kutya, when cooking, wheat will become hard. Honey is poured over kutya before serving.

Recipe Ingredients

For Kutya
Wheat 1 cup
Poppy 100 g
Raisins 150 g
Walnut 100 g
Honey 100 g
For Nut Milk
Walnut 100 g
Water 1.5-2 cups

Cooking Recipe

The recipe for Christmas kutya with nut milk is very simple. Previously, unpeeled wheat was used, if you also came across this, it must be cleaned. In a mortar, lightly crush the wheat so that it opens up, adding warm water. After the kernel is separated from the husk. With peeled, and especially with steamed, everything is much simpler. Pour hot water over the wheat, without salt and sugar, put on a slow fire under the lid. If the wheat is not steamed, it has to be boiled for 4-5 hours, then water will have to be added periodically, steamed wheat is cooked for a maximum of 45-60 minutes. Cover the finished wheat with a towel and let it brew for another 2 hours.

Rinse poppy seeds, pour boiling water and put on medium heat. Boil poppy seeds for 10 minutes under the lid. After that, drain the water, and grind the poppy seeds in a mortar.

In the finished wheat, add grated poppy seeds and, if desired, sugar syrup. Mix everything well.

Steam raisins, cut candied fruits, if necessary. Pour everything into kutya and mix.

Put the nuts on a dry hot pan and dry, so that the peel can be easily removed. Chop the peeled nuts and pour into the kutya. Kutya is ready, pour honey over kutya before serving, but not before, as the wheat will become hard.

Now it's time for the nut milk. Nuts, as well as for kutya, peel and transfer to a mortar. Grind the nuts in a mortar until mushy.

Gradually pour 2-3 tbsp into the mortar. cold water. Grind everything until smooth and mix with the rest of the water. Then strain the nut milk through a fine sieve or through a cloth. Add sugar and cool, and then serve with kutya.