Pearl barley is a refined and polished grain of barley. This plant, growing in the fields, is absolutely unpretentious in care and absorbs all the useful substances that nature gives it. Thanks to this, pearl barley, or pearl barley, as they call it popularly, is a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. They began to use cereals thousands of years ago, but even today, in terms of the number of useful properties, it does not give up its leadership position.
In our article we will tell how pearl barley porridge is prepared in milk and in water. Here we present an old recipe for pearl barley, which was included in the diet of Peter I.
What is the use of pearl barley?
Nutritionists unanimously assert that pearl barley must be used in the preparation of daily meals. And all thanks to the unique beneficial properties that this cereal possesses.
So, porridge from pearl barley :
- record holder among other cereals for the content of vegetable protein, which provides the body with the necessary energy and helps to restore strength;
- contains the substance lysine, due to which collagen is produced in the body, which is responsible for aging processes, youth and elasticity of the skin;
- a leader in fiber maintenance, which accelerates intestinal motility, providing timely elimination of toxins and toxins from the body (this property of cereals allows cereals to be included in effective diets);
- contains vitamins of groups B, A, D, E, in addition, it also includes trace elements such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc and nickel.
Pearl barley is suitable for daily use, and porridge made with milk can be an ideal option for a healthy and healthy breakfast.
Pearl Barley Cooking Tips
The following recommendations will allow you to cook pearl barley porridge with milk quickly and without hassle:
- Groats for porridge must be washed before cooking to clean it of plaque.
- To speed up the cooking process, it is recommended to pre-soak the cereal in water for 2-6 hours.
- Milk for porridge should not be fat. Otherwise, the dish will turn out too heavy for the digestive system.
- If desired, milk can be diluted in half with water. The taste of the dish will not change too much.
- Fruits, berries, dried fruits, nuts and other additional ingredients should be added to the dish at the very end of the preparation, about 10 minutes before the completion of the process.
- Barley porridge in milk is boiled for a long time, so before you start cooking it is important to make sure that you have at least 1 hour of free time at your disposal.
It is important to verify that the shelf life of the products is within the normal range. Otherwise, the cereal will be bitter, and milk will curdle during cooking.
How to cook pearl barley
Before you start cooking cereals, you need to decide how you want to see the finished dish: either it will be a loose side dish, or a viscous and soft porridge. In the first case, the amount of cereals and water is taken in a proportion of 1: 2, and in the second - much more, about 1: 4 or 1: 5.
How to cook pearl barley for garnish? For this, the cereal is well washed in water, then soaked for several hours, poured with clean water in the above proportion and put on medium heat. When the water boils, the fire is reduced to a minimum and the porridge is cooked until cooked. Cooking time depends on how long the barley has been soaked, but approximately 30-50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing the pan from the heat, it is recommended to add butter (about 50 g) to the dish. This side dish goes well to taste with meat and vegetable dishes and sauces.
How to cook pearl barley porridge in milk
Barley porridge in milk is no more difficult to cook than rice or any other. But the secret of this cereal is its preliminary soaking. Then it turns out more crumbly and tasty. Barley porridge in milk, the recipe of which is presented below, is cooked in a pan on the stove. However, such a dish can be prepared in a slow cooker and in a double boiler. This porridge will only taste better.
Barley porridge in milk is prepared in the following sequence:
- First of all, soaked and washed cereals (250 g) are transferred to a pan.
- Then it is poured with milk (4 tbsp.), Salt and sugar are added to taste (about 2 tbsp. L.).
- The pan with the cereal is put on the fire, the milk is boiled, the fire is reduced and the porridge is cooked until cooked (50-60 minutes).
- In the finished dish, add butter, raisins and nuts to taste.
According to this recipe, porridge is quite viscous and is great for children.
Recipe for barley porridge in milk in a slow cooker
Porridge cooked according to this recipe will be an ideal option for a tasty and healthy breakfast. It turns out to be soft, tender and will surely appeal to both children and adults. To prepare a dish, it is enough to load all the ingredients into the bowl, select the appropriate mode and enjoy a delicious dish in an hour.
Barley porridge with milk in a slow cooker is prepared in a ratio of 1: 2 for those who love crumbly dishes, and in a ratio of 1: 3 for those who like viscous cereals. For direct cooking, all ingredients, washed porridge (1 tbsp.), Milk (2-3 tbsp.), Salt (pinch) and sugar (3 tbsp. L.) Must be loaded into a slow cooker. Next, the cooking mode "Stew" or "Milk porridge" is set (depending on the model of technology). After 60 minutes, the porridge can be served.
Barley porridge with meat in a slow cooker
According to the above recipe, porridge can also be prepared in a pan on the stove, but in a slow cooker it turns out to be more saturated and aromatic, and tastes more like traditional pilaf, but without so many spices.
How to cook pearl barley porridge with meat in a slow cooker? The sequence of actions will be as follows:
- Groats (2 tbsp.) Are washed well several times until the water becomes clear.
- Pork meat is cut into small pieces, fried in a small amount of oil, adding onions and carrots.
- When the roasting is ready, the washed cereal is poured into the bowl, it is poured with water (4.5 tbsp), salt and spices are added to taste.
- Cover the multicooker and set the cooking mode “Croup” or “Porridge” for 50 minutes.
Before serving, pearl barley porridge should be mixed well again.
Old-fashioned barley porridge with milk
It is known that pearl barley is the favorite dish of Peter I, it was he who included it in the obligatory diet of the military. Pearl milk porridge, the recipe of which has been kept secret for a long time, is steamed and it turns out to be unusually tasty.
To prepare a meal, cereal must be soaked in cold water for 12 hours, after which it continues to be cooked in the following sequence:
- Groats (200 g) are poured with milk (2 l), brought to a boil on a stove and boiled for 5 minutes.
- Then, in a larger pan, a steam bath is prepared.
- In a boiling water bath, put a pan with porridge and simmer the dish for two hours. Salt and sugar are added to taste.
- Barley porridge in milk, the recipe of which is presented above, turns out to be tasty and soft, but the grain structure is preserved. It can be served for breakfast or dinner.
Barley with raisin milk
Another option for cooking delicious barley. Thanks to him, you can learn how to cook pearl barley porridge with milk and raisins in the oven. It turns out fragrant, crumbly and very useful. To prepare cereal for this recipe, cereals (1 tbsp.) Also need to be thoroughly washed and soaked in cold water for at least 6 hours. After that, it is transferred to the pan, poured with clean water in a ratio of 1: 2 and sent to cook on the stove for 50 minutes.
At this time, raisins are soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes. After this, the liquid is drained, and the raisins are mixed with honey, preparing a dressing for porridge in this way. When the water in the pan is almost completely absorbed, another cup of warm milk is added to the porridge and continue to cook it over low heat for 15 minutes. After the specified time, add honey dressing to the dish, mix and transfer the contents of the pan to the baking pot. Until the cooking is complete, the porridge will languish in the oven for another half hour.