Today, among other porridges, barley, alas, is not very popular. And in vain! The beneficial properties of barley are truly impressive. It contains vitamins D, E, A, group B, fiber, and a lot of microelements. The fact that earlier it was valued much more is evidenced by very interesting facts about barley porridge. For example, it was served at a festive dinner in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II, and Peter I considered it the most delicious, and, perhaps for this reason, introduced it into the diet of his army men. Impressive, isn't it?
How to cook egg on water: in a saucepan, slow cooker, oven?
If you decide to cook porridge on the stove, then first of all prepare a good pan with a thick bottom so that the cereal does not stick. Rinse the barley and place it in a saucepan, pour in clean water (2.5 cups per 1 cup of cereal to make crumbly barley porridge) and put on fire. After boiling, add salt to taste and reduce heat to low. The average cooking time is 15-20 minutes, but it is important to monitor the amount of water in the pan during the process. It's best to remove the pan from the heat when there is still some liquid left at the bottom. To ensure the porridge is fully cooked, cover the pan tightly with a lid and leave for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards you can add butter to taste.
If you don’t have a thick pan on hand, then you can use one life hack - pre-fried barley porridge. Place the washed cereal in a dry frying pan and fry over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the egg begins to change color, transfer it to boiling salted water and cook until tender.
The cooking process can make using kitchen appliances easier. In a multicooker, for example, you just need to add the washed cereal, pour in water (the proportions should be reduced to 2 cups of water per 1 cup of cereal), add salt and set the “Porridge” mode. The cooking time will depend on the power of your equipment, about 20 minutes on average for clean cereals.
And barley porridge with meat and pumpkin, for example, after pre-frying the meat and vegetables, will be ready in 35-40 minutes. You don’t need to watch this kind of porridge; it won’t boil over or burn.
If, among other things, you are interested in how to quickly cook porridge, then it is better to use a pressure cooker. Place the washed cereal in a bowl, add water (depending on the characteristics of the technique, the amount of water can be reduced to 2 glasses per glass of cereal, or up to 1.5) and salt. The average cooking time will take from 5 (at maximum pressure level) to 10-12 minutes. To speed up the time until pressure builds up, you can pour boiling water over the cereal. As an idea for a quick dinner or lunch, barley porridge with vegetables is suitable. Fry your favorite vegetables (it is convenient in such cases to use ready-made frozen mixtures) with spices and serve with the prepared porridge.
Separately, it is worth mentioning how to cook barley porridge in water in the oven. The first step is to choose the right cookware. The ideal option would be a ceramic heat-resistant mold with high sides. Barley porridge in a pot also turns out very tasty. So, wash the cereal and put it in the mold. Add water. The water will boil less rapidly, so you can add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of cereal. Immediately add salt and spices if desired. That's it, put the porridge in the oven and bake until done at 180 degrees. After half an hour, check the amount of liquid and determine the degree of readiness. On average, porridge cooks from 40 minutes to 1 hour.
If you want to immediately prepare a complete dish for lunch or dinner, then barley porridge with chicken and mushrooms is a great option. Place washed, dried and portioned chicken on the bottom of the pots or mold, then mushrooms and onions. Add salt, spices and cereal. That's it, you can put it in the oven and simmer until done. And if you replace the chicken with pre-fried lard, you will get a very tasty barley porridge “Cuba”.
Adviсe
After preparing the porridge, you need to leave it alone for a while. It will become softer and the taste more intense.
Sautéed vegetables go well with it: onions, carrots, peppers (hot and bell peppers), celery (stems and roots). It also goes well with chopped herbs - dill, parsley, cilantro. Dry ginger, turmeric, allspice, and cloves can be added to yachka dishes. They will give a more spicy and refined taste.
It is best to cook this cereal in a container with a thick bottom, as it cooks for quite a long time. You need to pour the cereal into boiling water, in this case lumps will not form.
Even Avicenna recognized the body-cleansing properties of barley porridge. If there is no individual intolerance or acute gastrointestinal diseases, there is absolutely no harm from it, and if you eat this porridge a couple of times a week, your body will thank you very much.
How to cook egg with milk
Milk porridge is ideal for breakfasts and sweet snacks. The classic option is to replace 1 glass of water with 1 glass of milk when cooking. Then the porridge will turn out tender and very tasty. Otherwise, the cooking process will be the same, whether on the stove or in a slow cooker.
For baking in the oven, you can use cream as a base. Boil the cereal in water, then add cream, sugar to taste, cinnamon for flavor, a handful of raisins and cherries. Mix everything, place in a heat-resistant form and place in the oven preheated to 180 degrees. In 15 minutes, the sweet barley porridge “Gourmet Breakfast” will be ready.
If you like unsweetened breakfasts, then be sure to try another interesting option - barley porridge with sour cream. First, boil the cereal in milk, then add sour cream, a couple of beaten eggs and mix. Place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes and serve.
Barley porridge with meat
To prepare this dish, both pork or beef, and poultry, for example, are suitable.
Ingredients:
- Pork – 300 grams;
- Barley groats – 180 grams;
- Water – 450 grams;
- Onion – 1 pc.;
- Carrots – 1 pc.;
- Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Salt and spices - to taste;
To begin, peel and chop the vegetables into cubes, wash the meat, dry and cut into small pieces. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the meat and vegetables and fry for about 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. At the same time, rinse the cereal. Place the cereal in a frying pan, pour in hot water, add salt and spices to taste. After boiling, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. When the barley porridge with meat is ready, let it brew for another 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cooking features
There are some features of preparing barley porridge in water. Here are some of them:
- The cereal needs to be sorted. It may contain pebbles, pulp and other debris.
- Rinse the cell in a sieve. This way you will remove dust and avoid spilling fine debris into the sink. Using a sieve makes it easier to control the volume of excess liquid.
- Place the cereal in cold water. If necessary, pre-soak the cell (this is practiced in children's kitchens).
- Watch the proportions. For a crumbly side dish, the ratio of cereal to water is 1:2.5. For viscous porridge, preferable in children's diets, you will need more liquid - up to 4 glasses.
- Don't skimp on the oil. Add it before serving. In dietary nutrition, use vegetable oil - olive, sunflower, walnut, pumpkin. For one serving you will need 1 tbsp. l.
Cooking barley porridge in water is not difficult. The main thing is to correctly calculate the ratio of water and cereal, and also not to cook the egg for too long. Don't be limited by standard components. Diversify the dish by adding meat, vegetables and spices. You can prepare sweet yachka with cottage cheese and raisins.
Barley soup
For lunch, you can cook a light vegetable soup for adults and children. If desired, you can use meat broth as a base.
Ingredients:
- Potatoes – 2 pcs.;
- Carrots – 1 pc.;
- Leeks – 1/2 pcs.;
- Parsnip – 1 pc.;
- Sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
- Barley groats – 60 grams;
- Salt, spices and herbs - to taste.
Pour water into the pan and bring to a boil. Wash, peel and cut the vegetables (into cubes, cubes, thin slices). Salt the water and add carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Rinse the cereal and add it afterwards. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then add chopped peppers and leeks, add your favorite spices for a more intense aroma and taste. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables and cereals are completely cooked. Before serving, add herbs to the soup.
Barley porridge with lard
This recipe is for those who like heartier dishes.
Ingredients:
- Barley grits – 1 cup;
- Water – 2.5 glasses;
- Lard – 300 grams;
- Onion – 2-3 pcs.;
- Salt, spices and herbs - to taste.
Wash the cereal, place it in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, add salt and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender. Fry the lard cut into small slices in a frying pan. Then add chopped onion and fry until beautiful golden brown. Combine the finished porridge with lard, stir, add herbs and serve.
Porridge with butter and water in a slow cooker
A simple and convenient way to cook barley in a slow cooker. This porridge can be the basis for lunch or dinner, as well as for breakfast.
Ingredients:
- Barley grits – 1 cup;
- Water – 2.5 glasses;
- Butter – 40 grams;
- Salt - to taste.
Rinse the cereal and place it in the multicooker bowl. Add salt and pour in water.
Set the “Porridge” or “Grains” mode and cook until the beep sounds. Then add oil to the bowl, stir and leave the porridge to heat for another 10-15 minutes.
By the way, for variety (or from leftovers, for example), you can make cutlets from barley porridge. Just add an egg, spices, form into cutlets and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry in a pan until golden brown and serve.
Proportions of cereal and liquid
To obtain tasty porridge, it is always important to choose the right proportions of cereal and liquid.
- Barley porridge will be crumbly if you take 2-2.5 cups of liquid per glass of cereal. Whether it is water, broth or milk diluted with water does not significantly affect this ratio.
- To obtain viscous porridge, use a proportion of 1: 3 when cooking porridge in water or 1: 4 when cooking a mixture of milk and water. Barley porridge is usually not cooked with milk alone.
- If you take 4 glasses of water or 5-6 glasses of milk diluted with water per glass of barley, the porridge will come out liquid.
- When cooking barley porridge in a slow cooker, use the same ratio of cereal and water as when cooking it in a saucepan.
A glass with a capacity of 0.2 liters contains 145 g of barley, a glass with a capacity of 0.25 liters contains 180 g.
Important! Barley contains a small amount of fat, but a lot of vegetable protein and slow carbohydrates. This makes it possible for people suffering from diabetes and overweight to use it.
The high content of B vitamins in barley, including vitamin B6, makes it useful for maintaining the beauty of skin and hair, strengthening the nervous system, and normalizing metabolic processes in the body.
Barley contains a significant amount of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamins A and PP, which makes dishes made from it useful for strengthening the heart and blood vessels, and preventing iron deficiency anemia.
Eating barley porridge helps normalize stool and restore intestinal motility, which makes it especially necessary in old age.
Due to the high gluten content, barley porridge is not recommended to be given in large quantities to small children and people suffering from gluten intolerance.
The calorie content of 100 g of barley porridge cooked in water is only 76 kcal, cooked in milk without sugar - 111 kcal, sweet porridge with butter can have an energy value of around 150-220 kcal.
