Vegan Kutia — Ukrainian Wheat & Poppy Seed Sweet Grain Dish
Kutia is a meaningful traditional sweet grain dish from Ukraine — soft, chewy whole wheat berries blended with rich, fragrant poppy seed paste, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and mixed with toasted walnuts and plump raisins. Every spoonful offers a wonderfully moist texture, natural richness, and a warm, comforting flavour. A symbol of unity, gratitude, and hope — once served at festive celebrations, now fully plant-based with no honey, no dairy, and no eggs, yet just as delicious and heartfelt 💛🌾✨
Shared by jeeys
Time
60 min
Serves
7
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients;
- 250 g whole wheat berries — rinsed clean.. 750 ml water — for soaking
- 1 litre water — for cooking.. ½ tsp salt.. 100 g poppy seeds
- 250 ml hot water — for steeping.. 100 g walnuts — lightly toasted, roughly chopped
- 100 g raisins or mixed dried fruit — soak in warm water 5 minutes if firm, then drained
- #Sweet Cream & Binding;
- 120–150 ml pure maple syrup — or agave nectar, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp grated sweet orange zest — optional, for fresh aroma
- 50 g flaked almonds — for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Soak the wheat berries in cold water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain thoroughly.
- 2
Transfer wheat to a pot, add 1 litre fresh water and the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover partially. Simmer 45–60 minutes until tender but still pleasantly chewy — not mushy or falling apart. Drain any excess cooking water and let cool slightly.
- 3
Meanwhile, pour hot water over the poppy seeds; let steep 15–20 minutes. Drain very well. Grind the poppy seeds until soft and releasing their natural oil — use a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or dry blender.
- 4
In a large bowl, combine the cooked wheat, ground poppy seed paste, maple syrup, chopped walnuts, raisins, and orange zest if using. Stir gently until everything is evenly blended and well coated.
- 5
Taste and add more maple syrup if you prefer sweeter. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let the flavours meld together. Garnish generously with flaked almonds before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature 🌾💛