Wheat Berry Pudding (Kutia)

Z Rizdvom Khrystovym! Merry Christmas!

There is no Christmas in Ukraine without Wheat Berry Pudding called Kutia. It’s one of the twelve traditional dishes on the Christmas table along with sweet bread Kalach, pierogies and cabbage rolls. The 12 dishes symbolize the 12 apostles and with the appearance of the first star, which symbolizes the birth of Jesus, the family gathers to begin supper.

I remember myself and my siblings being sent outside to search for this star on the sky. It was a game for us – who can spot the first star and run back to announce that Sviata Vecheria (Holy Supper) can begin. The whole family fasted all day in anticipation for this feast. The first dish is always Kutia and it starts the meal in a ceremonial manner.

Traditionally, Kutia is cooked with whole wheat berries, but not all grocery stores sell them. You can find them at many larger stores that sell bulk foods as well as some specialty stores such as Whole Foods. Whole wheat berries require overnight soaking and long (usually 3-4 hours) cooking time to break down the stubborn wheat fibers. But there is a solution! My recipe for this wheat berry pudding is made of ground wheat berries, which are not only easier to cook, but also cut down the cooking time to only 20 minutes! I bought them pre-ground at the local european store, but you can easily grind them yourself in the coffee grinder or food processor.

Kutia consists of cooked wheat, sweetened with honey and garnished with walnuts, dried fruits and seeds. The almond sweetness of poppy seeds, combined with honey and nuts gives this wheat berry pudding a warm, rich and full bodied character.

My job as a kid was to mash the poppy seeds with a pestle. A simple yet time consuming business. And today, these childhood memories give my Kutia a lovely undertone. For this reason, when I eat Kutia for Christmas, I am immediately brought back to the old times, when I was a kid making wheat berry pudding. Each year, I feel my spirit changing during the holiday season. I feel the warm connection with my family, my culture, and most importantly with God.

Wheat Berries:

1 cup ground wheat berries

3 cups water

pinch of salt

Honey Syrup:

3 tsp honey

1 cup warm water

Poppy Seeds:

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

Toppings:

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3 cup raisins, soaked in boiling water

honey

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Rinse wheat berries under cold water a few times until water runs clear. Then combine them with 3 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt, turn off the heat and set aside to cool completely.

To prepare the syrup, combine warm water with honey and mix into the cooled wheat berries.

To prepare the poppy seeds, combine them with 1/2 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is evaporated.

Mash the poppy seeds with granulated sugar in one to one ratio using mortar and pestle. I know some people using food processors for this, but I find that simple mortar and pestle does a better job. Instead of cutting it in the food processor mortar and pestle smashes the seeds releasing the delicious nutty paste.

To assemble, combine wheat berries with poppy seeds, walnuts, dried apricots, raisins and sesame seeds. Don’t forget to leave some for garnishing.

Enjoy wheat berry pudding a.k.a. Kutia chilled and drizzled with honey.