Barley porridge is one of the most healthy natural products, known since ancient times. According to experts, pearl barley contains a huge amount of vitamins of groups A, D, B, and E, as well as calcium, iron, iodine and phosphorus. Lysine (amino acid) contained in pearl barley provides an effective resistance to viral infections. Barley favorably affects the work of the digestive tract, improves the intestinal microflora.
It is impossible to overestimate the benefits of dishes made from barley. Therefore, experts strongly recommend introducing it into the diet for almost all categories of consumers.
It is known that few people have a special love for pearl barley. This is mainly due to the fact that many simply do not know how to cook barley deliciously. In fact, this is nothing complicated. We will tell you about how to cook delicious pearl barley porridge correctly and quickly, about recipes for simple but satisfying dishes with this cereal, in our article.
When to serve pearl barley?
Many will agree that barley during a festive feast will look somewhat ridiculous. But it is quite appropriate as a full breakfast or lunch, as well as a hearty dinner. Going on a hike, you definitely need to take pearl barley with you. This porridge is able not only to energize and give endurance and strength, it will pleasantly surprise with its taste
For barley, as a side dish, you should choose dishes with gravy and sauces. Someone may find this porridge to be rather dry, so its combination with meat, sour cream sauce, goulash is ideal. Many add stew, fried vegetables or mushrooms to it.
How to make barley delicious?
Barley porridge is a great option for a nutritious breakfast, delicious lunch or hearty dinner. By adding various ingredients to it (meat, milk, honey and dried fruits), it can be turned into a more delicate and very unusual dish. In those families where children do not like this grits, the hostess has to fantasize and experiment.
It turns out that pearl barley is also prepared in milk, on water, in broth, with vegetables, mushrooms, meat, using various methods and creating original dishes. How to cook pearl barley? With recipes of interesting dishes with this cereal, we suggest that you read further in the article.
Cooking barley properly
To make a dish from this cereal delicious, you should certainly know how to properly cook barley. There are two types of cereals: Dutch and classic. The Dutchwoman is distinguished by her smooth, carefully refined grains, which are very quickly boiled, and as a result, a gentle and soft porridge is obtained. Classical pearl barley porridge has to be cooked much longer, but it is famous for its many useful substances. The main conditions that must be followed in order to prepare delicious barley are soaking, observing a certain time for cooking cereals and using the necessary amount of liquid. Typically, cereal is poured with warm water for 8 hours, after which it is cooked for about half an hour.
So, we prepare a healthy and tasty breakfast (lunch, dinner)
For those who are interested in how to cook barley, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following recipe. Use:
- pearl barley - 1 tbsp .;
- one tbsp. a spoonful of butter;
- three quarters of art. tablespoons of salt;
- water (number indicated in the recipe below).
From the number of ingredients proposed in the recipe, you should get six servings of tasty, very healthy and nutritious porridge. This dish is prepared for one and a half hours.
Cooking steps
The first step is to rinse the cereals thoroughly. This saves her from dust and debris that fell into it during packaging. Then the barley is placed in a deep container, filled with water (1 l). This is best done at night, as the cereal will have to infuse for about eight, or even ten to twelve hours. Due to prolonged soaking, the croup eliminates excessive stickiness, which can accelerate the boiling of grains from the inside.
In the morning, the liquid that has not been absorbed is drained. The groats are washed several times under running water, pour into a saucepan and pour boiling water (3 cups). Then the water is salted, brought to a boil at maximum heat, boiled for 5-7 minutes, without covering. Further, the fire can be reduced to a minimum and tightly cover the porridge with a lid. After this, the cereal is cooked for another 50 minutes.
It is necessary to ensure that all water is properly absorbed. In the finished porridge add 1 tbsp. spoonful of butter (creamy), mix thoroughly and the pan again tightly covered with a lid. In order to enhance the effect, you can wrap the pan with a towel or an old, unnecessary jacket. Leave the porridge for half an hour to “reproach” it. Served portioned, decorated with herbs.
Barley on water: another recipe
Experienced housewives assure those who are interested in how to cook a pearl barley on water for a side dish that it’s not difficult to cook delicious porridge if you familiarize yourself with the most important features of this dish.
It is very important to pre-soak the grains in yogurt or cold water. The proportion is 1: 1 (i.e. 1 glass of cereal per glass of water). Barley is soaked for at least four hours, but it will be better if the grains remain infused throughout the night. Those who do not know how to cook pearl barley on water should take into account the recommendation of experienced housewives: you need to cook porridge in a voluminous pan, since grains increase approximately five times during cooking.
If the side dish is cooked on the stove, it will take about one hour to cook. Some cook porridge on fire for half an hour, after which the pan is removed, wrapped in a warm towel. In this case, the finished barley is steamed. After the side dish is cooked (steamed), the grains are washed with boiled water.
Gastronomic secrets
Barley porridge cooked according to this recipe turns out to be unusually tasty, fragrant, crumbly, tender. At the same time, it should be remembered that it is also extremely useful.
In order for the result to be guaranteed successful, barley should be cooked under a closed lid and in no case should be mixed until the end of cooking. You can understand if the porridge is ready by the appearance of the grains: they must be light, soft and swollen.
One of the gastronomic secrets of this dish is that when it is hot, it is much healthier and tastier than cold. That is why barley porridge is recommended to eat immediately after cooking.
Perlovka is considered by many to be an excellent side dish for fish, meat, vegetables, cheese and greens. It goes well with honey, condensed milk, jam. At the same time, the ingredients complement each other qualitatively.
Classic version
For those who are interested in how to deliciously cook pearl barley for garnish, experienced chefs offer to familiarize themselves with the classic recipe. In accordance with the instructions contained therein, a glass of pearl barley is washed and sorted out, and damaged grains are removed.
When the water in the tank in which the cereal is washed already becomes transparent, it is drained using a sieve or colander. Then pearl barley is poured with water and left for 9-10 hours (at night) so that the grains swell. During this time, the cereal becomes smooth and elastic, the grains absorb almost all the water. Now it can already be cooked.
Milk is poured into a small container and heated to 40 degrees. Half the water is poured into a large saucepan and brought to a boil. After this, the fire is reduced to a minimum, carefully place the container with milk in a water bath. Then barley is added to the milk, seasoned with sugar and mixed. During cooking, you need to monitor the level of boiling water (it can flood the fire).
How long will it take to cook pearl barley porridge, the hostess must determine for herself. Those who are interested in how to cook pearl barley (photo below), experts warn that this is not a quick process. Ready barley becomes grayish. After the cereal is cooked, oil (cream) is added to it and mixed.
How to cook barley in cooking bags?
There is no need to soak the cereals, which are packaged in bags before cooking, as it is processed and ready for cooking. Instant porridge is added to soups or used as a side dish with meat dishes. Bags with pearl barley are cooked like this: a bag of grains is placed in a pan; pour such a volume of water so that it covers a sachet by one and a half centimeters. Next, the pan is set on the stove, turn on medium heat, add 1 tsp. salt. After 45 minutes Barley is removed from the fire and drained.
Cooking pearl barley porridge in a double boiler or slow cooker
Experienced housewives assure those who are interested in how to quickly cook barley, that a side dish of this grits can be cooked much faster in a slow cooker / pressure cooker than in a pan. The dish is very tasty and truly airy.
The recipe for porridge in a slow cooker is simple. It is necessary to rinse 1 cup of cereal, soak it in kefir or yogurt for 10-12 hours. Then the grains are rinsed with water, placed in a multicooker bowl, poured 500 ml of boiling water and, by turning on the “Braising” or “Cooking” option, porridge is cooked for half an hour. After this time, the dish should be tasted ready by scooping up a spoon from the very middle of the bowl. If necessary, the side dish is left to cook for another 10-20 minutes. Next, the liquid from the pan is drained, rinse the dish with clean water, add oil to taste.
Barley porridge with meat
How to cook barley with meat? This question is not in vain interested in young housewives. Tasty cooked pearl barley porridge with meat can be one of the most hearty and healthy dishes in a balanced menu. Use:
- pearl barley (160 g);
- pork pulp (200 g);
- carrots (120 g);
- onions (100 g);
- vegetable oil (30 ml);
- salt (5 g);
- pepper (ground, black) and other spices to taste.
The calorie content of barley with meat according to the classic recipe is 264.5 kcal / 100 g.
Cooking according to the recipe
The secret of a delicious dish lies in the mandatory soaking of cereals. It is filled with water and left overnight (for eight to ten hours). This does not need to be done if for the preparation of breakfast (lunch or dinner) instant cereals are packaged in portioned packets. Then the cereal is boiled in boiling water for 25 minutes.
Pour a little oil (vegetable) into a pan with high sides (a prerequisite!) And fry pork slices on it. Chopped onions are added to the fried meat. It is fried until transparent, then carrots are cut into strips.
From the finished porridge, drain the water and put the barley in the pan for vegetables and meat. Add salt and spices (to taste), fill with water (it should cover the porridge), cover and simmer for half an hour until the moisture evaporates completely.
Barley with meat in a pot
If barley porridge is cooked in a pot in the oven, it turns out to be very crumbly and unusually tender. Porridge does not cook in pots, but languishes, shrouded in heat from all sides. At the same time, cereals absorb all the juices from vegetables and meat. To prepare delicious barley stewed in the oven, use:
- pearl barley (200 g);
- meat (beef or pork) - 250 g;
- carrots (100 g);
- onions (100 g);
- tomato juice (50 ml);
- vegetable oil (40 ml);
- garlic (25 g);
- salt and spices (to taste).
Cooking
The cereals are pre-soaked, dried well and fried in a dry frying pan until a beautiful golden color appears. In another pan, fry the meat with onions and carrots (grated) in heated oil. The ingredients are added sequentially to the pan. It will take about 5-7 minutes to fry each product.
After the meat and vegetables are cooked (after 15-20 minutes), tomato juice is poured into the pan, and spices, salt, and garlic are added. All extinguish under a closed lid for about 5 minutes.
Next, in ceramic pots lay meat with vegetables, stewed in a pan, and fried barley. Each pot is filled a little more than half. Then they add water (it should not reach the top by 2-3 cm). The contents are mixed with a spoon and sent to the oven.
Porridge languishes in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 200 degrees for half an hour, and then the temperature is reduced to 180 degrees and the pots languish for another 1 hour. Experienced housewives recommend cooked porridge for about fifteen minutes to leave in the oven turned off. This will allow her to absorb all the juices and aromas of vegetables and meat.