Every Russian tourist can hear pearl-barley porridge , because it’s what tourists most often take with them on a trip. However, at home it is cooked much less often. All the pros and cons of this porridge will be given in the article, various methods of its preparation with various ingredients will also be described.
The benefits of pearl barley for humans
Pearl barley has a lot of useful properties that few know about, and perhaps because of this it is becoming less and less included in the diet of modern people. It is necessary to correct the current situation by listing the taste and useful qualities of this cereal in combination with an inexpensive price.
Why is barley so useful? Many scientists say that it is very rich in vitamins, amino acids and contains mineral salts, so frequent consumption of this product has a positive effect on the body, and also helps to stabilize the blood glucose level in patients with diabetes, and is also recommended for weight loss. Phosphorus contained in pearl barley is actively used by the brain, normalizes metabolism and allows better absorption of beneficial substances. Vitamin A is involved in strengthening the immune system and improves eye vision. It is also proven that cereal helps lower cholesterol, helps cleanse blood vessels. Amino acids, which are rich in porridge, improve the color and elasticity of the skin, stabilize the heart and help in the development of immunity from colds.
In addition to all the advantages, pearl barley has a very beneficial effect on an overweight person, removing all toxins and toxins from it. Another important property of this porridge is the content of a large amount of protein, which leads to muscle building.
Types of Pearl Barley
There are several types of pearl barley. The difference lies in the method of processing the grains of this cereal.
- Barley, consisting of grain, peeled from bran and husk.
- The Dutchwoman consists of light-colored grains that underwent a more thorough cleaning.
- Barley - the same pearl barley, only crushed.
Depending on what type of grain porridge is cooked, it will always differ in appearance and taste. However, it should be noted that the stronger the grain is processed, the less useful porridge.
Contraindications to the use of pearl barley
- Children's age up to 3 years.
- Period of pregnancy.
- People who are allergic to gluten.
- People suffering from persistent constipation.
- Suffering from high acidity of the stomach.
Disadvantages of pearl barley
- High calorie content. But it is a disadvantage only for people suffering from overweight.
- For a long time boiling pearl barley porridge without soaking.
The use of barley in dishes
There are many fairly simple recipes for preparing delicious dishes, one of the main ingredients of which is barley. These are porridge, casseroles, soups, etc.
Preliminary preparation of grain
Before boiling pearl barley porridge, cereals must be sorted out from possible husks, dirt and other debris, then rinsed in running water several times until the water becomes clear.
Secrets of cooking barley
When cooking pearl barley porridge on the water, you need to know the ratio of water to cereals, as well as the cooking time. The structure and consistency of porridge depends on the amount of liquid. To understand how to cook friable pearl barley porridge, you need to monitor the amount of water in the porridge. If the cereal was previously soaked, then you need to take a liter of water for about one glass of cereal. If the cereal is not soaked, then the water needs more than one and a half times. The cooking time of pearl barley porridge depends on how long the cereal was soaked. The longer it swells in the water, the less time it takes to cook. So, if she was soaked for the night, then she would have to cook for no more than 30 minutes, and if she had soaked for no more than 2 hours, then the cooking time would double. Moreover, the gas supply should be at a minimum.
Cooking porridge for garnish
Not every housewife knows how to cook pearl barley porridge in water. On water porridge is cooked so that the dish is not too high in calories. For 1 cup of cereal, about 650 ml of filtered water should be prepared. Also salt to taste and a little butter.
The cooking process begins with the fact that before boiling pearl barley porridge, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the cereal until the water becomes clear, and leave it in the water overnight. Porridge on the water will cook much less in time if you soak it in water and leave to swell until the morning. After which it is necessary to drain the night water and pour fresh, immediately add salt and oil to the pan. Cooking pearl barley porridge takes about 35 minutes after boiling. Often porridge is supplemented with a salad of cucumbers, sweet peppers and tomatoes.
Although pearl barley porridge on the water is less caloric, it should be noted that the porridge is tastier with the addition of meat. The recipe will be given below.
Barley porridge with meat
Ingredients:
- 650 g pork tenderloin;
- one and a half glasses of pearl barley;
- 1 onion turnip;
- 1 sour apple;
- 1 medium carrot;
- salt and seasoning to taste.
Cooking method. In order for the preparation of pearl barley porridge on water to bring an excellent result, you must strictly follow the technology:
- Fry meat with layers of fat in a pan without adding oil. It will be enough that fat, which is melted from meat. When the meat is covered with a golden crust, it should be shifted to a chicken bowl or cauldron.
- On melted fat, fry finely chopped onions and carrots, chopped into small cubes. Then add a sour apple, chopped into small cubes. Then salt the vegetables and add spices to the meat.
- After steaming, put the vegetables on top of the meat. Pour the cereal from above. Everything is filled with water so that it is about 1 cm higher than the cereal.
- Simmer porridge for at least 60-70 minutes. It is not necessary to cover with a lid.
- To make the delicious pearl barley porridge even better, after cooking it should be additionally sent to the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Cooking porridge without pre-soaking
Very often women think for a long time what to cook tasty for tomorrow, and ideas do not always come quickly. Therefore, having decided in the morning that there will be barley for dinner, there is practically no time for soaking. The question is: how to cook barley porridge without soaking? The recipe is very simple, but you should be patient, because it is cooked for a long time. So, as the ingredients you need: 1 tbsp. barley, 4-5 cups of filtered water at room temperature, half a teaspoon of salt, 1 tbsp. l vegetable oil - sunflower or olive.
Cooking Technology:
- Cooking cereal begins with the selection of a good cereal that does not have damaged and rotted grains.
- After going through the cereal, it must be thoroughly washed in running water until all the garbage has gone and the water is no longer cloudy.
- Next, pour 3 cups of water at room temperature into the pan, add pure barley to it.
- Bring to a boil and cook the cereal on low heat for no more than 7 minutes from the beginning of the boil.
- Then it is necessary to drain this water and pour the barley into a colander.
- Rinse the empty pan, pour about 2 glasses of water, add salt, vegetable oil and boil.
- Pour barley into it and cook until the water has completely evaporated. Cooking is necessary on low heat, not closing the lid to the end. The evaporation time will be approximately 30 minutes. Cooking time depends on the quality of the cereal, so it is difficult to predict the exact cooking time. Barley porridge is ready!
Barley, cooked on water, not pre-soaked, it turns out the same tasty and crumbly.
Other methods of cooking pearl barley
Every day, modern technology steps forward. Now the modern miracle of technology can rightfully be called a multicooker. The only difficulty in cooking it is to understand how much water a pearl barley porridge needs to achieve the desired consistency and required level of readiness. You can also cook porridge in an unusual pan. It is called a pressure cooker. It got its name from the fact that the dishes in it are cooked under the influence of steam without access to air, which speeds up the cooking process. Barley porridge in a pressure cooker cooks very quickly and has excellent taste.
Also porridge can be cooked in milk. It was such a delicious pearl barley porridge that was the favorite dish of Peter the Great himself. The preparation of barley requires the following ingredients: 1 tbsp. cereals, 2 tbsp. l melted cow butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a bag of milk (900 ml).
A method of preparing pearl barley porridge in milk:
Soak the barley overnight. Rinse in the morning in cold water. Boil in salted water for 15 minutes. Then throw it in a colander and send it to boiling milk prepared in advance. Next, salt and sweeten the porridge. After 15 minutes, rearrange the pan with porridge in a water bath and cook on it for about 3 hours until cooked. A delicious pearl barley porridge is obtained in a water bath, you just “lick your fingers”.
Summing up, it should be noted that there are many recipes for the preparation of this cereal. And the right to choose how to cook pearl barley porridge remains with every housewife.