Christmas Kutya

To make the filling for kutyu, soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 30-40 minutes. Place the poppy seeds in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, making sure the water is about one and a half to two times the volume of the poppy seeds.

Rinse the wheat groats, pour two cups of water over them, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Start by placing the pot over high heat, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until all the water is absorbed and the groats become tender. If the water is absorbed but the groats are still undercooked, you can add a little more hot water.

While the poppy seeds are soaking and the groats are cooking, you can prepare the uzvar, which is essentially a dried fruit compote. Rinse the dried fruits under running water, pour two to three cups of cold water over them, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. No sugar is needed as we will sweeten the kutyu with honey, and dried fruits are usually sweet enough.

While the uzvar is cooking, you can work on the nuts. Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant and golden. Then, coarsely chop the nuts. You can do this using a blender or a food processor, or chop them with a knife or roll them a few times with a rolling pin. Toasting the nuts beforehand is not necessary, but it will enhance their flavor.

After the poppy seeds have soaked for 30-40 minutes, drain the remaining water (strain and squeeze out any excess), and process the steamed poppy seeds in a blender until they release a white milky liquid.

Strain the ready uzvar and finely chop the dried fruits. Add honey to the warm uzvar and stir until the honey dissolves.

Add ground poppy seeds, crushed nuts, and sliced dried fruits to the cooked wheat groats.

Before serving, pour the uzvar and mix well.