Koliva (koh-lee-vah) is a traditional wheat-based dish served during Greek Orthodox memorial services, with each ingredient holding religious significance. In Turkish Cypriot culture, it is made during New Year celebrations to bring good health and fortune.
It is a nutritious dish, containing nuts, seeds and sultanas. Beyond its symbolic uses, koliva makes a great option for a healthy snack or breakfast, especially when pomegranates are in season. The main ingredient, wheat berries, adds a delightful nutty taste and a chewy consistency, while the aniseed brings a sweet aroma.
It is best to boil the wheat berries for longer than when they first become tender as they harden as they cool. This recipe indicates a longer time frame for boiling to help serve as a guide.
Buying ready-blanched almonds makes preparing koliva quicker but blanching them yourself adds more flavour. Also, you can leave out the aniseed if it's not to your liking.
Serves 6 to 8 | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Additional time: 1 hour for cooling
Ingredients
400g whole wheat berries, washed well and strained (with broken and discoloured ones discarded) | 200g sultanas |
200g blanched almonds | 5 tbsp sesame seeds |
100g walnut halves | 1 tbsp Nigella seeds (also called black onion seeds) |
500g pomegranate seeds | 1 tsp aniseed |
Hob heat settings
Method
Place the wheat berries in a large saucepan and pour over enough hot water to cover by 5-10cm. Loosely cover and boil on a high heat for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the wheat berries are tender yet chewy (cooking times vary depending on the variety of wheat berry). As wheat berries firm up when cold, it is better to boil them slightly longer than when they first become tender. Top up with more hot water if it runs low.
Rinse the cooked wheat berries with cold water to cool them down and remove the dark water. Leave to strain for at least 1 hour to completely cool.
Chop the blanched almonds roughly into 3 to 4 pieces each, and the walnut halves roughly into 6 pieces each.
Mix the wheat berries with all the other ingredients and serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.