Barley porridge is a “lifesaver”. Such food is quickly prepared, benefits the body and gives a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Yachka can be prepared in different ways, and its taste will depend on this. Let's figure out how to cook barley porridge correctly. Useful life hacks that will help you be on top in any situation.
Barley porridge is perfect for both traditional and vegetarian meals.
Proportions for cooking barley porridge
Before we talk about the ratio of cereals and liquid, let's reveal the secrets of cooking this porridge.
Barley has small grains that can easily burn if you use the wrong container. To cook barley porridge perfectly, take a cauldron. It’s great if you have an old cast-iron cauldron that you inherited from your grandmother. But if this is not the case, do not despair. A saucepan with a thick bottom will do.
Choose barley from trusted manufacturers! Cheap options may contain small pebbles and debris generated during processing. Agro-Alliance cereals are premium quality selected grains.
It is advisable to rinse the cell before cooking. Use a sieve and running water for this. Usually 4-5 washes are enough.
Some cooks advise soaking barley before cooking for 15-30 minutes (up to 1 hour). It is believed that this preparatory step activates the enzyme phytase. And the point of application of this enzyme is phytic acid. This acid can interfere with the absorption of some minerals and protein. Therefore, if you have free time, soak the cell in water, and before cooking, drain the liquid and rinse. This way you will get the maximum benefit from such affordable barley.
Be sure to decide before starting cooking what consistency you want the porridge to be. The classic version of barley porridge involves maintaining a proportion of 1:2 - 1:2.5. In other words, for every 100 grams of cereal you need to take 200-250 ml of liquid. To cook barley porridge, you can use water, broth or milk. If you want liquid porridge, then take 3 times more liquid.
The less grains in the finished dish and, accordingly, the more water, the less caloric it will be. This option is perfect for those people who want to lose weight in order to always stay in shape.
How long to cook barley porridge
The duration of cooking the egg depends on the size of the grains. If they are the smallest, then 15 minutes is usually enough. For large grains it will take about half an hour.
To make the porridge ready 2 times faster, use a simple trick - soak the porridge for 1 hour in advance.
After the porridge is cooked, do not rush to taste it. Cover with a lid so that the grains are saturated with steam and the finished dish has an excellent taste. You can also wrap the cauldron in a towel (a kind of greenhouse effect). The steam impregnation process usually takes 10-15 minutes. Before serving, the dish can be seasoned with cream or butter. This will make the porridge more aromatic, tender and tasty.
Fats present in cream or butter will help absorb nutrients from barley porridge.
However, keep in mind that immediately after adding animal fats, the calorie content of the finished dish increases. Therefore, if your goal is to lose weight, then try not to add anything other than vegetables to the finished side dish.
Vitamins
| Vitamins | Quantity | Norm |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.09 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.027 mg | 1.8 mg |
| Vitamin B4 | 12.6 mg | 500 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.048 mg | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.18 mg | 2 mg |
| Vitamin B9 | 10.667 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Vitamin E | 0.5 mg | 15 mg |
| Vitamin K | 0.7 mcg | 120 mcg |
| Vitamin PP | 1.5667 mg | 20 mg |
| Niacin | 0.9 mg | ~ |
Barley porridge on water
Remember that cereal greatly increases in volume when cooked (almost 3 times). Therefore, take a container of sufficient size. Sort the cell (if necessary), rinse several times under running water using a sieve. Then pour into a cauldron or thick-walled pan, pour in water and add a little salt.
You should take at least 2 times more water than cereal. And if you want a fairly liquid porridge, then the proportion increases 3 times (1 part barley groats and 3 parts water).
Place the container on the stove, turn on high heat and bring to a boil. After this, reduce the heat to low and cook under the lid until tender (15-30 minutes depending on the grinding). Let the porridge brew. At this stage, you can use a variety of toppings.
- If you want sweet porridge, then add dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes), fresh fruits and berries, nuts, seeds. These ingredients will also swell when exposed to steam. Honey, sugar or sweeteners can be added just before serving.
For sweet and dietary barley porridge cooked in water, you can use the natural sweetener stevia. One serving, which replaces approximately 1 teaspoon of sugar, contains only 2 kcal.
- If you want the porridge to have a classic creamy flavor, then add a piece of butter or cream of different fat content. After this, let it sit for a few minutes so that each grain is saturated with aroma.
You can add greaves to barley porridge - these are finely chopped pieces of lard that have been simmered over low heat. This option goes well with pickles.
- If you want army-style porridge, then after cooking, add the stew and mix thoroughly.
Beneficial properties of barley groats
The widespread use of barley is explained not only by the availability and ease of cultivation, but also by the many beneficial properties of the cereal. The cooked dish gives a quick and long-lasting feeling of fullness, and is widely used in dietary and therapeutic nutrition.
Composition of barley:
- Complex carbohydrates make up up to 65%, which allows you to feel full for a long time when consumed.
- Fiber – about 6%, fats – 1.3%, protein up to 10%
- Starch, sugars, vitamins – A, B, PP, E, D.
- Microelements - boron, molybdenum, zinc, sodium, phosphorus, copper, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, fluorine, iron, iodine.
Calorie content of 100 g of grain is from 310 to 330 kcal. In 100 g of boiled egg, cooked in water - 70-80 kcal.
Eating barley cereal helps:
- relieve spasms of muscles and blood vessels in chronic diseases;
- lower sugar in diabetes mellitus;
- improve the condition of hair, nails, skin;
- relieve swelling, as it has an unexpressed diuretic effect;
- in case of digestive pathologies, improve the condition of the mucous membranes, cleanse the intestines, and normalize stool;
- stimulate the thyroid gland (iodine);
- suppress bacterial infections, as it contains a natural antibiotic (hordecin).
Chopped chickpeas cooked in water without oil are used in weight loss diets and allow you to lose several kilograms without a constant feeling of hunger.
Barley porridge with milk
Cooking yachka porridge with milk is not an easy process. If you add milk right away, you will most likely not get a good result. To make milk porridge tasty, we recommend adhering to the following rules:
- cook the porridge in water, observing the correct ratio of ingredients;
- add milk taking into account the desired consistency of the finished dish;
- Bring the finished porridge with milk to a boil and turn off.
Cooking according to this recipe is convenient and will allow you to preserve the maximum of nutrients contained in barley groats. And besides, it will help to avoid the milk porridge from sticking to the pan.
All the secrets of experienced housewives
- It is very important to maintain the proportions of water and cereal so that our egg turns out crumbly. If you want the cereal to be more viscous, add 3 tablespoons of water per 1 cup of cereal.
- Fruits, berries, nuts, honey will help enhance the taste and benefits of barley porridge. In addition, such additives are an excellent substitute for sugar.
- But don’t get carried away with barley porridge. It is quite high in calories, so we recommend consuming it in the first half of the day.
Irina Polyanitsa My name is Irina, I am the owner and admin of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).
Barley porridge in a slow cooker
Porridge in a slow cooker turns out almost the same as in a Russian oven. And it's all about the principle of operation of this device. First, the multicooker brings to a boil, and then maintains the simmering mode. As soon as all the liquid has evaporated, the device automatically adjusts to the heating function. As a result, you get the perfect porridge with an amazing taste, where each grain is separated from each other.
The sequence of actions for preparing barley in a slow cooker should look like this:
- take the required amount of ingredients (1 part cereal and 2 parts water or vegetable/meat broth);
- add salt to taste;
- select the “Porridge” mode;
- wait for the message about readiness and enjoy the unique aroma and taste of healthy barley porridge.
If desired, after cooking, you can add various additives - sweet or salty, depending on your preferences.
Features of choosing ingredients
When purchasing barley, you should give preference to products packaged in sealed bags. This will protect the contents from moisture. Carefully study the information on the packaging: date of packaging, expiration date.
The translucent bag allows you to visually evaluate the cereal. A suitable product will have a uniform light color. Lumps and dark spots inside the package indicate that the product was stored incorrectly. If you have the opportunity to smell the cereal, you need to take advantage of it. A high-quality product does not have any strong odors. When you smell something rotten, it is better to give preference to another product.
At home, barley (like pearl barley) can be stored for quite a long time if done correctly. Place it in an airtight container or bag and store it in a dark, dry place away from moisture and pests.
How to cook crumbly barley porridge
Are you used to seeing barley porridge as sticky and think that a crumbly side dish won’t work? You are wrong. Now we will tell you how to do this.
The first step is to rinse the cell and then dry it with a towel if possible. You can do this in the oven over low heat, placing the cereal on a baking sheet in a thin layer.
The second step is to turn on the frying pan and melt a small amount of butter or vegetable oil, but odorless. When the oil is hot enough, pour in the required amount of cereal in proportion. Fry over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remember that barley grains are small, so they will quickly absorb the oil. And so that they do not burn, you must continuously stir with a wooden spatula. And as soon as the cereal begins to brown, you need to move on to the next step. It is good to use a thick-walled cast iron frying pan for frying.
The third step is to add the required amount of liquid, stir and bring to a boil. Cook under the lid over low heat for 15-25 minutes (guide by the readiness of the grains). After this, let the porridge brew. Your crumbly side dish is ready. This porridge goes well with vegetable gravy, meat, poultry, mushrooms and cream sauce.
In a saucepan
This method of cooking barley porridge is the simplest and most common. The dish can be prepared with water or milk. Let's look at both technologies step by step.
On the water
Required Products:
- barley - 1 cup;
- butter or ghee – 30–50 g;
- water – 2.5 tbsp.;
- salt – 0.5 tsp.
Algorithm of actions:
- Place the washed grains into a saucepan. Add water and boil it over high heat. Stir the cereal with a spoon from time to time to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
- When the water boils, reduce the heat and add salt.
- Cook the product for a quarter of an hour until the liquid evaporates.
- When the barley porridge is soft, remove the pan from the burner. Add butter, cover with a lid.
Leave the side dish to steep for 20–25 minutes. To better retain heat, wrap the pan in a towel.
The second method of cooking with water allows you to cook the egg more aromatic and crumbly:
- Place the washed cereal into a clean frying pan. Fry it over medium heat, stirring constantly. All moisture should evaporate and the grains should brown.
- Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and boil over high heat.
- Transfer the cell to boiling water, add butter and boil again.
- Reduce heat and cook barley porridge until cooked.
- Cover the container with a lid and remove from the stove. Let the porridge rest for 20–25 minutes.
With milk
Required ingredients:
- barley groats – 1 tbsp.;
- butter – 50 g;
- milk – 1 tbsp.;
- water – 2 tbsp.;
- sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt – ½ tsp.
Sequencing:
- Place the washed cell in a saucepan and fill it with water. Bring the liquid to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer the grains for 10–15 minutes. Do not cover the container with a lid.
- When the water is absorbed into the cereal, pour in 1 cup of milk.
- Add spices and butter.
- Cook the barley porridge for another 10–15 minutes, stirring constantly. To make the porridge liquid or viscous, the milk should not boil away.
- When cooking is complete, remove the pan from the burner. Close it with a lid and let the dish rest for 20–25 minutes.
