How to make kutya. Funeral kutya: how to cook. The simplest recipe

Kutia is an Orthodox dish that symbolizes a person’s faith in resurrection and eternal life. Therefore, it is traditionally prepared for a funeral dinner and eaten at the table at the beginning of the meal. Don’t have lavish dinners with expensive dishes, remember the ancient tradition and prepare kutia for the funeral. The main ingredients of the dish are boiled rice or wheat, raisins and honey.

How to make kutia from rice for a funeral?

Prepare foods:

• 2 tbsp. water;
• 0.5 tbsp. rice;
• 60 g walnuts;
• 100 g raisins;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of honey;
• 50 g each of prunes, poppy seeds and candied fruits - optional.

Cooking process.

1. Prepare your ingredients. Soak the raisins in boiling water for half an hour. Carry out the same procedure with candied fruits and prunes, if you use them in cooking. Cut dried candied fruits and prunes into strips. You don't have to cut the raisins. Fry the walnuts for a minute in a frying pan, stirring with a spoon. Chop the cooled nuts finely with a knife. Place the washed poppy seeds on a sieve and wait for the excess liquid to drain. Place the poppy seeds in a mortar and grind until white juice appears. Melt the honey in a water bath; it will be well absorbed into the cereal and give the dish the necessary sweetness.
2. Cook rice porridge. Rinse the cereal several times in cold water and fill the pan with water. If you have time, immerse the rice in cold water and leave for two hours to get rid of gluten and excess starch. Cook until cooked, after boiling, turn down the heat to low. Do not stir the porridge with a spoon. Place the finished porridge in a colander or on a sieve and rinse under cold water so that the grains do not stick together.
3. Combine all ingredients. Pour melted honey into the prepared porridge and stir. Add raisins and other food ingredients. Stir. Place a mound of kutia on a dish and top with remaining raisins and candied fruits if desired.

How to make kutia from wheat for a funeral?

Required Products:

• 100 g of walnuts and the same amount of poppy seeds and raisins;
• 1 tbsp. wheat groats or unpolished wheat;
• 3 tbsp. water;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of honey.

Cooking process.

1. Prepare the wheat. In the evening, rinse, cover with cold water and leave to steep overnight. Pour in 3 times more water than cereal. In the morning, rinse well. If you take wheat cereal, this procedure is eliminated.
2. Cook the porridge. Wheat porridge is cooked until tender over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Cook the wheat from the moment it boils for 20-25 minutes.
3. Prepare food ingredients. Heat the nuts in a frying pan and cut or crush in a mortar. Pour a glass of water over poppy seeds and steam over low heat for 20 minutes to swell. Strain and crush in a mortar. Pour boiling water over the raisins and sort through. Add honey to the prepared poppy seeds and stir.
4. Prepare kutya. Place all the ingredients in the prepared porridge and place on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add water if necessary. After turning off the heat, do not immediately remove the lid from the pan. Leave for 10 minutes for the kutia to reach its doneness level.

How to cook kutya for a funeral in a slow cooker?

A multicooker will make the process of preparing kutia easier. Prepare the products:

• 2.5 tbsp. water;
• 1 tbsp. rice;
• 1.5 tbsp. Sahara;
• Vanillin packet;
• 0.5 tsp salt;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of raisins.

Preparation.

1. Cook the porridge. Rinse the rice and place it in the slow cooker. Pour water, set the “Porridge” mode, time – 20 minutes.
2. Start preparing other products. Pour boiling water over the raisins for 5 minutes. Add vanillin and sugar to it. Add the mixture of raisins and sugar to the cooked rice and stir.
3. Last preparation. Add a little water or milk to the porridge and set the “Warm” mode for 15 minutes.

Buy rice for kutya with long grains, it will turn out more crumbly. Use liquid honey. Warm the frozen honey in a water bath. Do not boil, all beneficial properties will disappear. If there is no honey on the farm or someone is allergic to bee products, don’t worry. Replace with sugar.

In order to help the soul get to heaven, bless the finished kutia or its ingredients in the church. At the funeral table, try it as the first course. Don’t cook a lot, but if there is any kutya left, distribute it to people in need to commemorate your relatives.

The centuries-old Orthodox history amazes with the abundance of rituals and traditions. Many of them were forgotten over time and underwent changes. But there are also those that have been passed down from generation to generation and are firmly rooted in our everyday life. These include the custom of placing kutya on the table during a funeral meal.

Mentions of this dish date back long before the rise of Christianity and go back to the times of pagan sacrifices. For a long time, the Slavic people believed in the immortality of the soul and, as a consequence, in the preservation of some human needs even after death, including food. Therefore, it was customary to cook porridge from wheat and leave it on the grave. Kutia owes its name to the Greek word “Koukki”, which means “grain” and a similar, but less sweet dish, kolivo. Due to their similarity, they are often confused and even mistaken for one and the same thing, although the first records about kolyva appeared in ancient times - the 5th-6th centuries AD and were found in the writings of the Byzantine Empire.

Today, kutia is a symbol of Christian faith in the existence of the kingdom of heaven, eternal life and resurrection. In memory of the dead, it is customary to perform merciful acts and give out alms, one of the varieties of which is considered to be memorial dinners. Such meals symbolize the gathering at one table of Christ's disciples, awaiting his miraculous resurrection. In the early stages of the development of Orthodox culture, the entire community gathered at a common table as a sign of confirmation of love for their neighbors. During such events, those who were no longer in this world were certainly remembered, which seemed to emphasize that both the living and the dead belonged to the same church. Over time, organizing such meals became the concern of the relatives of the deceased. The products that were used to prepare funeral dinners were placed in baskets and brought to the church for blessing during the service. This was done the previous evening, that is, the day before. This is where another popular name for Kutya comes from - kanun. It is also believed that “eve” comes from a Greek word meaning “basket.”

The original qanun recipe included boiled wheat with raisins and honey, but poppy seeds were first added in the 16th century. The tradition of preparing this dish from rice began somewhere in the 19th century.

What does kutya symbolize?

Each ingredient in the recipe for this dish has a hidden meaning. The basis of the eve is boiled or steamed grain, as a symbol of the resurrection from the dead. If you plant a grain in the ground, it will sprout and bear fruit, but it itself will decay. By analogy, the same thing happens with a dead person who was buried according to Christian laws - he is resurrected for eternal life.

Another important component of the recipe is honey. Orthodox writings mention that it was this that Christ ate when, having risen, he appeared before his disciples. Since then, it has been customary to serve honey on the table as a symbol of the bliss of eternal life and spiritual peace in the Heavenly Kingdom, so that the soul of the deceased can enjoy the heavenly sweetness.

Raisins on the eve are reminiscent of the Fruits of Paradise, which were intended for humans and were a symbol of health and eternal life. Another traditional dish was fruit and honey uzvar (or jelly).

By the way, kutya is also prepared on some Orthodox holidays: Christmas, Kolyada and Epiphany, using various recipes. Moreover, it is believed that the thicker and “richer” the ingredients of the dish itself are, the greater wealth awaits the family in the new year.

How to serve and consume qanun correctly

This dish is prepared in advance and taken with you to church for consecration during a memorial service or funeral service. In exceptional cases, you can sprinkle it with holy water yourself by reading a prayer over it in front of the icons. A plate with kutya is placed in the middle of the table and the meal begins with it. First, the relatives eat it, and then everyone else takes a spoonful of this dish, while remembering the deceased. It is also served on the ninth and fortieth day, six months and a year from the date of death. It is consumed cold.

It is believed that kanun, like other food, should be eaten only with spoons (or hands) at such dinners, although the Orthodox Church does not prohibit the use of forks and knives. The reason for this tradition goes back to the reign of Peter I, who introduced the custom of using forks. The common people accepted such a reform reluctantly and dubbed the cutlery a “demonic tail” capable of destroying the soul of a Christian. Therefore, in order not to harm the deceased in the afterlife, only spoons were served at the wake.

Recipes and cooking technology

Rice began to be used in the recipe for this dish due to the fact that this cereal cooks the fastest (not counting buckwheat, of course) and tastes well with all kinds of additives. To ensure that the porridge is crumbly and does not stick together into a lump, it is best to use long-grain rice rather than round rice. You should also rinse it very well until the water becomes clean and clear. It is better to take fresh honey for the recipe, that is, liquid. If it has already crystallized, it must be dissolved in a water bath or in a microwave oven. In this form, it will be evenly distributed and better absorbed by the rice.

Recipe for kutya from rice with raisins

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

– 1 cup steamed or regular rice;

– 3 tbsp. spoons of natural bee honey;

– 2 glasses of water;

– 200 gr. raisins;

– 100 gr. walnut kernels;

- a pinch of salt.

Rinse the rice thoroughly, add water and cook until fully cooked in a thick-bottomed container. Add a little salt during cooking. Ready rice can be washed with boiled, chilled water. Transfer to a sieve and allow excess water to drain. Lightly chop the nuts and fry in a frying pan. Place the cereal on a plate, add nuts, honey and raisins, mix well. Decorate with dried fruits, canned cherries or nuts.

Kutya recipe with candied fruits and nuts

You will need the following products:

50 grams of walnut kernels;

– 50 grams of cashews;

– 50 grams of peeled almonds;

– 50-100 grams of candied fruits;

– 50 grams of raisins;

– 50 grams of steamed poppy seeds;

– 1 glass of rice;

– 2 glasses of water;

- honey or sugar to taste.

Thoroughly washed long grain rice is poured with water in a ratio of 1:2 and boiled until tender. If you add a little sunflower oil, the porridge will not stick together. Remove from heat and cool with the lid closed so that a rough crust does not form on the porridge. Lightly chop the nuts and cut the candied fruits into small cubes. Mix all ingredients until smooth, place on a plate and decorate.

Kutya recipes are varied and change depending on the time and the set of traditional products. Each housewife prepares it to her own taste, adding certain components.

Kutia is a ritual Orthodox dish used to commemorate the dead. It appeared in Rus' in the 10th century, when Grand Duke Vladimir converted to Christianity. The overseas clergy who flooded Rus' passed on the tradition of preparing it for Christmas and commemorating the dead with it.

Traditional kutya is made from wheat, honey, raisins and nuts. Nowadays, Orthodox monasteries adhere to strict rules for preparing this ritual dish.

Traditionally, wheat can be replaced with another grain crop. This is how kutya with rice appeared, the recipe for which is used in every family both on mournful days and on Christmas days.

Rice with raisins recipe

The grain symbolizes resurrection. raisins - wealth,

Let's look at how to prepare kutya for a funeral. At a funeral dinner, the main menu remains unchanged from generation to generation; it is a strictly obligatory dish. As a rule, it is prepared a little more, in the expectation that there may be more guests than expected. People are never invited to a funeral; those who come there are those who want to see off the deceased on his last journey.

Although, in Rus' it was not customary to refuse anyone a funeral dinner. “Rice porridge” was placed in a common bowl in the center of the table and eaten with a tablespoon, like all funeral food.

Rinse the cereal in several waters until the water becomes clear. Then pour into a saucepan and add water. Cook for about 15 minutes. Next, drain the brew in a colander, rinse with water and let it drain. Place the crumbly rice in a bowl.

It’s better to take rice in bags, where it has already been steamed, and cook it according to the instructions. It will be much faster this way, and you don’t have to thoroughly wash the pan afterwards.

Rinse seedless raisins and pour boiling water over them. Leave to swell for 20 minutes. Then drain the water and place the raisins in the rice.

Season everything with honey. If you don't have it, you can replace it with sugar. Mix the kutya thoroughly and leave for 3 hours to soak.

How to cook kutya in a slow cooker

Recently, a new assistant has appeared in the modern kitchen - a multicooker that can save housewives time. If we talk about our dish, then in this unit it is possible to cook only rice. It will be very crumbly, just what you need.

Pour the thoroughly washed cereal into the bowl of the device, pour cold water into it in a ratio of 1:2, close the lid and press the “Steamed rice” or “Buckwheat” program, depending on the type of multi-helper. Next, click the “Start” button. When cooking is finished, the device will beep. Transfer the resulting mixture from the bowl of the unit into a bowl without rinsing.

Christmas kutia recipe

It is customary among the Eastern Slavs to start Christmas with a spoonful of Christmas porridge. This tradition has deep, centuries-old roots. In this case, our dish is the personification of prosperity, wealth and good health. It is believed that the tastier and sweeter the food, the more grace the Lord will send to the family. How to cook kutya correctly? Let's look at an example.

• rice - 200 gr.,
• raisins -60 gr.,
• dried apricots – 40 gr.,
• poppy seed – 100 gr.,
• walnuts – 50 gr.,
• liquid honey – 3 tbsp.

Rinse the cereal and add a small amount of water, put on high heat and bring to a boil. Then rinse everything in a colander, put it in a saucepan, add 400 milliliters of water and cook until tender. Then put the finished product in a bowl and cool.

Pour the poppy seed into a bowl, pour boiling water over it and let it swell. Then drain the water, place the poppy seeds in a mortar and grind with a pestle until the milk of the poppy is released. Add liquid honey to the poppy seeds and stir. If you have solid honey, you can make it liquid in a water bath.

Cut the dried apricots into small pieces and steep in boiling water together with the raisins for a few minutes. Peel the nuts and pour boiling water over them, keep in it for about 15 minutes. Then chop the nuts with a knife.

Add nuts, swollen dried fruits, poppy seeds and honey to a bowl of rice. Mix the kutia thoroughly, let sit for several hours and serve on the Christmas table.

But, you must always remember that you need to leave a little overnight. According to legend, deceased ancestors also want to eat. If you don't leave it, they may get offended.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in preparing this ritual dish. It is enough just to follow the sequence of actions.

Kutya made from rice, wheat, oats or barley– a traditional recipe for sweet porridge with a ritual history. It is prepared on Christmas Eve, Old New Year and on the night of Epiphany. Kutia is also a funeral dish. There is no single recipe for preparing kutya; in every family this dish is prepared in a special way.

But there are three main ingredients: grain, poppy seeds and honey. All of them are symbolic for believers: grain means the cycle of life and the rebirth of the soul, poppy - wealth and fertility, honey - sweetness and the benefits of eternal life.

Previously, the treat was prepared from wheat, pearl barley, and oats, but now options using rice are increasingly common.

On various occasions, raisins, honey and honey syrup, dried fruits, cow and nut milk, cream and other sweets are added to kutya.

Classic kutia recipe

For holidays preceded by fasting, Lenten kutia is prepared. The recipe consists of only basic ingredients. Traditionally, the meal began and ended with this dish, while deceased ancestors are remembered.

A simple kutia recipe for Christmas Eve:

Ingredients: 500 g wheat grains, 500 g honey, 2 liters of water, 100 g poppy seeds.
Sort the wheat, rinse, add water and boil for 1.5 hours. Rinse the finished porridge again using a sieve.
Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 40-60 minutes.
Measure out half the honey, add the soaked poppy seeds and grind the mixture in a blender.
Add puree to the porridge, pour in the remaining honey. If it is thick, it is dissolved in a small amount of water. It should not be hot so that the valuable substances in the honey are not destroyed. The dish should have a moderately sticky consistency.
The treat is served cold. Cover the finished dish with a lid to cool slowly.
The ritual recipe for kutya with honey and rice implies consecration in the church. To celebrate Epiphany, you can collect holy water and sprinkle the treat with it.

Interestingly, in the classic recipe, kutia is prepared from coarse grains, which should not be boiled. However, a slight deviation from tradition is possible - the use of rice grains allows you to get a softer porridge.

Recipe for kutya from rice with raisins

A version of Lenten Christmas kutia with the addition of raisins remains within the tradition. A ritual dish should be not only nutritious, but also beautiful, so the finished porridge can be sprinkled with crushed nuts.

Step-by-step recipe for rice kutia:

Ingredients: long-grain rice (this kind of grain does not overcook) - 300 g, 100 g honey, a glass of raisins and poppy seeds, nuts: almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts 75 g each.
Rinse the rice until the water is clear.
Boil the cereal according to the instructions on the package. Typically, the grains are poured with water 1:2, brought to a boil and cooked over medium heat until it evaporates, without stirring. At the end of cooking, add a little salt.
Soak the poppy seeds in boiled water, drain the water after half an hour and mash the grains into a white mass. This is done in a meat grinder, blender or mortar.
Raisins are also soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then removed and dried.
Chop the nuts. Walnuts can additionally be fried in a dry frying pan to enhance their flavor.
Mix the prepared rice, poppy seeds, raisins, nuts (leave some for sprinkling).
Dissolve honey in a glass of warm water. Pour this syrup over the porridge.
Mix kutya with raisins, arrange on plates and decorate.

The Christmas kutia recipe may contain other dried fruits. The dish should not contain milk or butter, since the day before Christmas is included in Lent.

Kutya with dried fruits

Another lean version of kutia with sweet additives - dried fruits. Fresh fruits can ferment in the porridge; they are added, but strictly when serving. Dried fruits will not spoil the dish, but, on the contrary, will enrich it with flavor shades and bright taste.

Christmas kutia with dried fruits, recipe step by step:

You will need: 4 cups of wheat, 0.5 cups of sugar, honey to taste, 0.5 cups of prunes, 0.5 cups of dried apricots, a handful of white raisins, 0.5 cups of poppy seeds, nuts to taste.
Soak the poppy seeds for half an hour, then grind with sugar.
Soak dried fruits in hot water until softened, cut into small pieces.
Chop or grate the nuts.
Wash and boil the wheat.
Mix the finished grain, dried fruits, nuts and poppy seed mixture.
Prepare a sweet filling with warm water from honey. The treat is ready.

Rich kutia with honey, poppy seeds, dried fruits and butter

To celebrate the New Year, the rice kutia recipe is supplemented with animal fats: milk, cream, butter. This hearty and nutritious dish can be served on any day outside of fasting; it is often prepared for christenings.

Step-by-step recipe for kutia for the New Year:

Ingredients: rice – 1 glass, water – 2 glasses, 70 g butter, 100 g white raisins, a glass of prunes, half a glass of dried apricots, 1 tbsp. honey, 0.5 cup poppy seeds, 1 packet of vanilla sugar, any nuts and candied fruits for decoration, cinnamon to taste, salt.

Soak raisins in hot water.
Rinse the remaining dried fruits and soak separately for 15-20 minutes. Do not drain the liquid.
Cut dried fruits into small pieces.
Boil the washed rice in water.
Soak the poppy seeds for half an hour, rinse and grind until white.
To prevent the finished porridge from being too sticky, the rice is washed under running water.
Add raisins, cinnamon, vanillin, liquid honey, grated poppy seeds and butter to the finished rice.
Pour dried fruits and compote into the porridge.
Mix thoroughly, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, kutia is laid out on plates and decorated with nuts and candied fruits.

Kutya recipe may also include marmalade candies, grated chocolate, a little cognac, jam, orange juice, lemon zest and even sprouted grains. There is a belief: the richer the kutia on the table, the more fertile and happier the year will be.

And a few more tips: it is better to cook the grains in a thick-walled pan; to speed up the cooking, the grains are soaked in advance; after combining all the ingredients, the kutia is heated a little more on the stove.

And most importantly, a Christmas or funeral meal begins with a spoonful of kutya, joyful thoughts and warm wishes to loved ones. After all, the root of the word kutia – “kut” – has ancient Russian roots and means “joy”.

In the Orthodox faith, kutia, or kolivo, symbolizes eternal life and resurrection. Therefore, it is customary to prepare sweet rice porridge for funerals. It is placed in a common deep plate and placed in the middle of the table. Each guest scoops up one spoonful of kutya from the plate and puts it straight into his mouth, commemorating the deceased.

Traditions of cooking kutia

There is no single traditional recipe for kutya. In families, the recipe for this dish is passed down from generation to generation, and everyone considers their version to be the most correct. Despite this, all recipes use similar principles and similar ingredients.

The taste of kutya varies depending on the additives and dressings of the funeral porridge. It can be prepared using pearl barley, millet and rice, and flavored with sugar, honey or sweet syrup. A pleasant combination of neutral grains and sweet dressing gives the funeral dish a specific taste and unique aroma.

Kutya recipe for a funeral

Kutya is supposed to be served at funerals on the 9th, 40th day, for six months and for a year. It is also used to open a memorial meal on special dates.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cups long grain rice
• 2 glasses of water
• 100 g white raisins
• 50 g candied fruits
• 1 tbsp. honey

Place the raisins on a plate and remove the stems. Rinse and leave in water for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse and dry again. To ensure that the honey is well absorbed into the rice and gives the desired sweetness to the kutya, melt it in a water bath. Grind the candied fruits. Since the fruits added to kutya symbolize the fruits of heaven given to humanity by the Almighty, you can put not only raisins, but also dried apricots, prunes, cut into pieces, and poppy seeds into kutya.

Before cooking rice, soak it in water for at least 2 hours to remove excess starch and gluten. Drain the water. Immerse the rice in fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Bring to a boil and after 2 minutes reduce heat to low. Do not stir rice with a spoon. Over low heat, the porridge will not burn, but will slowly gurgle, absorbing water. When the rice is completely boiled and there is no water left in the pan, pour honey into it and add raisins with dried fruits and other ingredients as desired. Stir and let stand for another 2 minutes.

Place the hot kutya into a deep bowl, smooth the surface and garnish with raisins. Cover with a saucer and leave to cool slowly. Kutya should be blessed before serving at the funeral table; it is better to do this in advance by visiting the church during the morning service.