Pearl barley, from which barley porridge is made, is made from whole grains of barley, from which bran is removed and, in some cases, polished. Like many cereals, pearl barley has a number of remarkable properties. In particular, it contains many amino acids, including lysine, which has a rejuvenating effect on the skin. There is a large amount of fiber in cereals (more than in wheat), vitamins D, E, A, PP are present, a lot of potassium, which supports the tone of the heart muscle. Porridges and decoctions of this cereal are credited with the ability to deal with allergic reactions, constipation, colds and overweight with constant use.
Barley porridge, when boiled, gives mucus of a protein-starch composition, which has a calming effect on the stomach with peptic ulcer, with colitis and other problems of a similar plan. If it is cooked friable, then it will affect digestion in the best way. For a loose version, the cereal is thoroughly washed from a gray coating and soaked overnight (at least 11 hours). Then it is poured with hot water at the rate of 3 cups of water per 1 cup of cereal, brought to a boil, drained, the cereal is poured with hot water again and cooked until tender, so that the water is completely absorbed.
If pearl barley is constantly present in the diet, the diet is most likely not needed, because this dish itself is fairly low in calories. Barley boiled in water has about 100 kcal per 100 grams of product. At the same time, pearl barley does not differ in exquisite taste, so it is quite difficult to eat a large amount of this product without additives.
To improve the taste of porridge and at the same time to minimize calorie content, you can use the following recipes:
- Zucchini with pearl barley porridge. For the dish is taken 200 gr. soaked pearl barley, which is boiled until tender. At the same time, 500 g are very finely chopped. zucchini, two peeled tomatoes, one onion. Ready porridge is mixed with vegetables, seasoned with 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil and brought to readiness for another 10 minutes.
- Porridge with prunes. In this case, 200 gr. barley is also steeped and boiled. Prunes weighing 150 grams are soaked in sweet water, seeds are removed from it. Ready porridge is seasoned with oil and decorated with prunes.
- Porridge with vegetables and squid. 2 cups of pearl barley are boiled until tender. 200 gr. carrots and 100 gr. onions finely chopped and warmed for about 3 minutes. 300 grams of squid are poured with boiling water, aged in it until cool, cleaned of films, shredded and fried for 5 minutes. The dish is mixed with vegetables and squid, salted to taste.
- Porridge with champignons. Two glasses of cereal are soaked overnight and boiled in 4 glasses of water with one change of water until tender. 700 gr. champignons are boiled, finely chopped and fried with one chopped onion. Mushrooms combine with porridge and stew for about 5 minutes.
Representatives of a strong half of Russians who served in the army do not feel much sympathy for this dish, because in the army kitchen, due to the lack of technology, barley porridge with stew was often very tough. In home cooking, a well-cooked mass is supplemented with roasting of onion, one carrot, a clove of garlic and tomato paste (for 2 cups of barley). After that, a can of stew is laid out in the finished dish, and it warms up for another 5-7 minutes. The main role in this recipe is played by the proper quality of the stew, which is a relative rarity, despite the extensive offer in stores.
An excellent addition to porridge can be an ingredient such as smoked brisket. It is added after frying in the form of cracklings at the rate of 100 grams per 250 grams of cereal in the finished dish. Fiber contained in pearl barley will not allow excess fat to settle in the body, therefore porridge with brisket is not only tasty and nutritious, but also quite useful dish.