Miscellaneous

Kutya
Safron Rice Pilaf
Biryani

Kutya 
(Ukrainian)
            Kutya is a ritual dish of the Christmas Eve supper.  It unites us with our ancestors because the origin of this wheat dish goes back into pagan times.  Holy night supper, the evening prior to Christmas day, commences with kutya.  It is only served during the Christmas holidays, which end with the feast of Jordan.

 Ingredients: 

½ lb. Shelled wheat
4 cups water
½ cup hot water
½ cup (or more) honey
½ cup ground poppy seeds
Chopped nuts and raisins 

1. Simmer the wheat in plenty of water.  Depending on the variety of wheat it may take from 1 to 3 hours.  Stir a few times during the cooking.  Taste to see if it is done.

2. Drain the cooked wheat if necessary and add it to the hot water, stirring gently.  Sweeten to taste with honey, then stir in the ground poppy seeds.  Add nuts and raisins.

3. The mixture should be medium thin, not thick.. Store in fridge.  This quantity will yield about 8 or more servings.

 Once the kutya is prepared and the supper is about to begin, those feasting, especially any farmers toss a spoonful of kutya towards the ceiling.  If the kutya sticks to the ceiling there will be a plentiful harvest that coming year.

Safron Rice Pilaf
Ingridients:
1/4 tsp. saffron.
1/2 cup hot chicken stock,
3 tbls. butter,
2 onions chopped,
1 cup rice,
1/4 cup currunts or rasins,
1/3 cup pine nuts or cashews,
1 1/2 cups chicken stock,
1/2 tsp. salt,
1/4 tsp. pepper.
Method:
Crumble saffron with the back of the spoon and add hot chicken stock.
Allow mixture to rest 10 to 15 minutes, this ensures the saffron will be flavorful and blended with the rice.
Melt butter, fry onions without browning, until tender.
Add rice and coat well. Add raisins and nuts, cook a few minutes.
Add chicken stock and saffron mixture and bring to a boil.
Add salt & pepper, cover reduce heat and simmer gently.20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Biryani
4/5 tins basmati rice,
Mutton, beef, veal or chicken,
3 big onions thinly sliced,
3 green chillies,
3 pieces ginger,
2 whole garlics, corriander finely chopped,
1 tsp. black cumin seed, garam masala (cumin, pepper corn, 6 cloves, 2 cinamon sticks cardamons).
2 bay leaves, 125 grams yoghurt, 1
/4 unsalted butter or ghee, 1/4 tsp. food colouring, salt to taste.
Soak rice for 1 hour, then par boil adding black cummin seeds & salt. marinade meat yoghurt, ginger, garlic and salt for 1 hour. Soak saffron for 1 hour.
Fry onion till deep brown, remove & make 2 parts. grind 1 part with garam masala and green chillies and water to make smooth paste.
Mix paste marinated meat and put in a saucepan.
Add corriander, bayleaves and cook until meat is tender.
There must be a little gravy in a dish place layer of parboiled rice, sprinkle food colouring and second part of brown onions.
Bake in 350 degrees F. oven for 20 minutes.