Delicious barley porridge recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

At first glance, it may seem very strange that historically it so happened that the appearance of pearl barley is directly associated with the name "pearl". At the same time, people of the military profession and those men who served in the army and gave their debt to the Motherland call it shot or buckshot. But this is not surprising.

Many of us are accustomed to the fact that pearl barley is cooked with mushroom soup or pickle, and in the army it is served as a side dish or cooked with stew and vegetables. But, in fact, the recipe for barley porridge is not at all one, and not even two, it is enough just to know how to cook it properly to make the dish look appetizing. Yes, and cereals have a lot of useful properties for our body, so at least sometimes it must be included in the family's diet.

On the benefits of barley porridge

The very name of the cereal already speaks of a special attitude to the product, because not every grain is called a jewel. In the old days, pearls were called "pearls", hence the second name of barley came from, becausecorrectly peeled and polished, the grain looks like small river pearls. But back in those days, the product was valued not for its appearance, but for the fact that it had useful properties and high nutritional value.

Small grains contain a unique composition of vitamins and nutrients that a person needs for he alth and well-being. In addition, cereals contain quite a lot of vegetable protein, which is necessary in the children's diet and those people who play sports and lead an active lifestyle. And the enveloping properties of porridge are indispensable for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and peptic ulcer.

A small amount of porridge during a diet is also useful, as there is a lot of fiber in cereals. The recipe for barley porridge can be viewed below. But keep in mind that the grain has a high nutritional value, so portions should be small.

Among the 16 minerals in the composition of cereals, it is worth noting in a special way the high content of phosphorus, which positively affects the brain and metabolic processes in the body. And in addition, you can replenish the reserves of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, lysine, which strengthens the heart muscle and smoothes wrinkles, making the skin supple and toned. What does the finished barley porridge look like? You can see the recipe with a photo below.

How to cook pearl barley

After so many words have been said about the benefits of cereals in the daily diet, it's time to reveal the secrets of proper and tastycooking barley.

Before starting the process, it is recommended to carefully sort out the cereal and soak it for a while, and then rinse thoroughly in running water. What is the correct recipe for barley porridge? Soak the washed cereals at the rate of 1 liter of water per glass of barley. Soaking cereals should be at least 3-4 hours, and it is better to leave it overnight in a cool place.

The dishes should be large enough, as the cereal will swell and can increase in volume up to 5 times. After the allotted time for soaking, the cereals are washed again until the water is clean and clear. How much barley porridge is prepared according to the recipe, how to cook, is described below.

Different cooking methods

After the cereal is ready for further heat treatment, thoroughly washed, you can choose one of the methods for proper cooking.

Method 1. The easiest recipe for barley porridge. Transfer the cereal to a saucepan with a thick bottom and walls, pour two glasses of cold water, put on fire and bring to a boil. Switch the burner to the minimum level, cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 45 minutes. If necessary, you can add hot water, which should completely evaporate at the end of cooking. Remove from heat and wrap to dry barley.

Method 2. According to the recipe, barley porridge is obtained with a delicate creamy taste. Pour 2 liters of normal-fat cow's milk into the pan, bring it almost to a boil and pour the washed cereal into the pan. Boil over moderate heat without a lidfor 5-7 minutes and remove the pan from the heat. Further cooking of cereals takes place in a water bath for 2-3 hours so that the cereal does not burn and the milk does not run away.

Method 3. To cook dishes with pearl barley in the oven, the prepared cereals must be boiled until half cooked, and then laid out in ceramic pots. In modern multicookers, the cereal will be ready in 25-30 minutes, provided that it has been soaked overnight and has absorbed enough water.

Delicious barley porridge recipes

Barley porridge is a he althy and tasty product, but cereals are undeservedly ignored, using only occasionally a small amount for making soups. But in vain, because barley can bring great benefits to the body, even if a recipe for barley porridge is prepared on water without the addition of spices and meat.

Barley porridge as a side dish

Great nutritious side dish for meat dishes cooked with sauce. It can be, for example, pork or beef stewed in tomato-creamy sauce.

Required products:

• 1 cup pearl barley;
• 2 liters of water or vegetable stock;
• 0.5 teaspoons coarse table s alt;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• bay leaf.

Preparing the side dish:

• In the evening, sort, rinse and soak the cereal, drain the water in the morning, rinse the product thoroughly again and put it in a saucepan, pour cold water or hot vegetable broth.
• Put on the stove, bring to a boil, add peeledand crushed garlic cloves, bay leaf and s alt, stir, reduce heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours until fully cooked.
• Wrap up the finished porridge and sweat for about 2-3 hours, making sure that it does not cool down. The liquid remaining at the bottom will be absorbed into the grain during this time, and the garnish will turn out crumbly and fragrant.

Barley with zucchini and tomatoes

In the summer season, when tender zucchini are just beginning to ripen, and there are already fleshy and juicy tomatoes on the beds, a large abundance of fresh herbs, it is recommended to cook cereals according to this recipe.

Required products:

• half a glass of cereal;
• 500g baby zucchini;
• 2-3 large tomatoes;
• 1 liter vegetable or chicken broth;
• bunch of dill and parsley;
• 80g butter;
• 2 garlic cloves;
• 1 sweet onion;
• coarse s alt and black pepper.

How to cook cereals with vegetables

Prepare the cereal for cooking, transfer it to a saucepan and pour vegetable or chicken broth. Put on the stove, bring to a boil, stir to avoid sticking and leave to cook until the grain is almost done.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the finely chopped onion and garlic. Peel the zucchini, if necessary, and cut into small cubes. Cut the stalk from the tomatoes and chop.

As soon as the onion and garlic are golden, add the tomatoes. Once they soften, add choppedzucchini. Sprinkle vegetables generously with s alt and spices, pepper, mix and add to almost ready porridge.

Mix everything well and simmer for another 10-12 minutes, adding chopped greens at the very end. The dish is definitely worth trying and assessing whether it contains enough s alt and spices.

Porridge with vegetables and meat

When cooking according to the recipe for barley porridge with meat, you get a tasty and satisfying dish that will be a good idea for an everyday dinner for all family members. The most important thing is to properly prepare the cereal for further heat treatment.

Required products:

• 650g pork meat;
• 125g pearl barley;
• sweet onion - 2 pcs.;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 1 red bell pepper;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• 1 small courgette or zucchini;
• a small bunch of fresh dill and parsley;
• a pinch of dried basil;
• coarse s alt and black pepper;
• 50 ml sunflower oil.

How to cook barley with meat and vegetables

Prepare grits in advance by washing and soaking them. Grind, finely chop the onion and garlic, and fry in oil. Fry until golden brown, and while the roots are golden, grate or cut the carrots into very small cubes. Add it to the frying pan. While it is fried, chop the sweet pepper and zucchini, transfer them to fry. The latest in vegetable frying are tomatoes. After they let the juicevegetables can be s alted, seasoned with spices and dry basil.

Prepare the meat by cutting it into small pieces. In a large saucepan with a thick bottom, heat a little oil and fry the meat, add the washed cereals and fried vegetables, s alt and pepper well. At this stage, you can season the dish with your favorite spices and herbs, add turmeric or sweet paprika for an appetizing color and aroma.

Stir all the ingredients, pour in water so that it completely covers the cereal with vegetables and meat, and put on medium heat. Simmer until cooked, but not less than 45-50 minutes. A couple of minutes before cooking, sprinkle with fresh herbs, leaving a little for the final decoration of the dish.

Advice! This mode can be perfectly adapted for cooking in a slow cooker. The process looks exactly the same: first you need to fry the vegetables, put all the products in a bowl and select the desired mode. For this, “Extinguishing” or the “Porridge”, “Pilaf” mode are suitable. One cycle of operation of the device will be enough, and then the dish must be darkened for a couple of hours so that the cereal swells and becomes crumbly, in the “Heating dish” mode. Then you get a crumbly barley porridge, the recipe of which is incredibly easy to prepare.

Barley porridge with stew and fried root vegetables

A simple variant of a country or camping dish that can be easily cooked on an open fire, having a small cast-iron or aluminum cauldron on hand. Barley porridge with stew, the recipe for which you will need in the country, will certainly please you with its simplicitycooking.

Required products:

• 1 glass of barley;
• 2 standard cans of quality stew;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 2 bulbs;
• coarse s alt and coarsely ground black pepper;
• 80ml vegetable oil;
• favorite seasonings and spices;
• some fresh greens.

How to cook barley grits:

• Heat the oil in a cauldron and fry the onion sliced in half rings and the fresh carrot grated on a coarse grater until golden and ruddy.
• Add the washed and soaked pearl barley and continue to fry until the sides are slightly browned and the oil and vegetable juices are absorbed.
• S alt the dish well, add black pepper and your favorite seasonings, mix and pour in water to cover the grits. Simmer for about half an hour. Then add a good stew and mix the dish thoroughly again.
• The cauldron can be covered with a lid and then the camping-summer dish is cooked for another 15-20 minutes.

Cooking tips and tricks

• To make barley porridge, the recipes for which were proposed, turn out to be very tasty, the cereal must be washed and soaked well. It is recommended to prepare barley the next day, filling it with enough cold water in the evening.
• Give an appetizing and bright color to the dish by adding a little turmeric or sweet paprika when cooking. Don't forget to write down the recipe for delicious barley porridge.
• As for meat,you can use any kind, and even the pulp of beef, pork with fat and connective tissue. With a long stew, the fat will melt, and the meat will become soft and juicy. The fatter it is, the tastier the dish will be.