Very tasty pearl barley porridge. Barley porridge - the best recipes

Pearl barley porridge is obtained by grinding barley grains, as a result of which only the husk and the top layer of grain are removed. This cereal has been known since ancient times, when it was widely prepared and eaten.

Now many people have forgotten about pearl barley and practically do not cook it, because they believe that this porridge turns out to be tough and completely tasteless. But that's not true. Let's take a closer look at the basic methods and recipes for preparing pearl barley porridge so that it turns out soft, tender and crumbly.

Useful properties of pearl barley porridge

Pearl barley rightfully belongs to healthy products, since it is a whole grain cereal, and therefore undergoes minimal processing, retaining all nutrients.

To benefit the body, pearl barley porridge must be eaten on a regular basis, since it contains the following vitamins:

• group B– has a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system, calming it;
• vitamin A– necessary for the normal functioning of the visual organs;
• vitamin E– acts as an antioxidant, it is also responsible for the condition of the nail plate and hair;
• group D– promotes the growth and strengthening of bone tissue and joints;
• vitamin PP– has a positive effect, improving the condition of the skin, preventing its premature aging.

Pearl barley porridge also contains other useful substances, microelements and macroelements, as well as amino acids.

For example, the fiber contained in pearl barley helps improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Hordecin - being a natural antibacterial component, allows you to cope with pathogenic microflora.

This cereal belongs to quite low-calorie foods, its calorie content is 320 kcal. Therefore, such porridge is often included as food when following a diet. Due to its beneficial properties, this product is included in the menu in children's, military and medical institutions.

1. During cooking, this cereal can increase in volume up to 5 times. This should be taken into account when choosing a container for preparing porridge.
2. It can be difficult to determine in advance the exact time for cooking pearl barley porridge, since many factors influence this process. Everything will depend on the quality of the grain, the utensils used for its preparation, as well as the cooking method. On average, the cooking process for this dish ranges from 1 to 1.5 hours.
3. The consistency of the finished porridge will depend on the amount of water in which the cereal was cooked. If you want to make pearl barley porridge crumbly, then for 1 glass of porridge, you need to take 2 glasses of water. If you cook pearl barley in a larger amount of liquid, for example, doubling the volume of water, then it will turn out viscous and viscous.

Popular recipes

Let's look at the basic recipes for cooking crumbly pearl barley in water. Since this porridge is made from whole grains, it will take a long time to cook. Many housewives use the method of pre-soaking the cereal, leaving the pearl barley porridge in water for the whole night.

This cooking method can significantly reduce cooking time, since the soaked grain becomes softer and cooks faster.

Preparing pearl barley with pre-soaking

Rinse the cereal well under running water. Fill it with water in the ratio of 1 glass of porridge to 1 liter of water. The grain should stand soaked for about 10 hours; it is better to leave it to stand overnight. In the morning, drain the excess liquid, boil the water and pour out the porridge.

Prepare this dish from time to time, stirring from time to time and checking the degree of its readiness. This will take approximately 20 minutes.

When the porridge is cooked, remove the container from the heat and cover with a lid. It is necessary to wrap the pan in a terry towel or thick cloth and leave it in this state for another 15–30 minutes. During this time, the dish will be fully prepared.

Cooking porridge without soaking

The grains are washed well and placed in boiling water. In such a way that the water protrudes 2 centimeters above the level of the porridge. You need to wait until the pearl barley boils, and then reduce the heat to minimum. Cook the cereal over this heat for 5 minutes.

After this time, strain the pearl barley porridge through a colander. Again, pour boiling water over the cereal and boil for 5.5 minutes. This manipulation must be carried out 6 times. In this case, each time the amount of water should increase so that it protrudes 1 centimeter more than the previous time. Each time the cooking time increases by 30 seconds.

The last time, pour boiling water over the cereal, you can salt it and add a little oil. When the porridge is ready, remove it from the heat and strain.

An ancient recipe for making pearl barley porridge

After this, the pan must be placed in an oven preheated to 125 degrees. In the oven, the pearl barley porridge should simmer for another 30–35 minutes. Before serving, the dish is seasoned with vegetable oil.

There is also a standard recipe for making pearl barley porridge, when the grain is placed in a saucepan, filled with cold water and simmered over low heat for 1–2 hours. In this case, the cereal must be constantly stirred and ensure that it does not burn.

Now you know how to properly cook crumbly pearl barley in water and you can pamper your loved ones with a tasty and healthy dish.

You will learn more about how to cook pearl barley porridge from the following video.

This cereal is one of the first cultivated by humans. Pearl barley, or whole barley grain, appeared in the human diet more than 17 thousand years ago. It was eaten in ancient Egypt, and the ancient Romans considered it the best food for gladiators. The latter, by the way, were called “hordearii”, which translated means nothing more than “barley men”.

In Rus', the culture of eating pearl barley was lost back in the 13th century. The most valuable cereal grown in vast fields by the Finno-Ugric peoples was replaced by wheat and lentils. Although in narrow circles, mainly the nobility, dishes from barley groats continued to be prepared. It was pearl barley that was Peter I’s favorite porridge, and its name comes from the English term “pearled barley” or “pearl” for the external resemblance of the round, dense kernels to a sea jewel.

Subtleties of cooking

According to culinary theorist William Pokhlebkin, the question of how to cook pearl barley porridge is extremely simple. But it takes a lot of time, although most of it is cooked by the cereal itself, without any participation of the hostess. To cook pearl barley deliciously, you should take into account several of its features.

• Always soak your grains. Without soaking, it turns out dense, too hard, and does not boil down. It is better to leave it in water all night - up to 12 hours, while pouring a glass of barley with a liter of cold water.
• Use proportions based on desired consistency. If you need crumbly porridge, take 2.5 cups of water per cup of soaked cereal. It will become liquid by adding four glasses of water.
• Keep the time. The classic recipe requires long-term boiling of the product, up to 6 hours. It seems that in modern conditions this is impossible, so housewives found their answer to the question of how long to cook pearl barley porridge. For pre-soaked kernels, boiling for 45 minutes is enough to bring them to readiness.
• Leave the porridge to “rest”. After turning off the heat, place the covered pan in a warm place. You can wrap her in a blanket. The longer the dish simmers, the more delicious the pearl barley porridge will be. It will be ideal with pearl-colored kernels that do not crunch on the teeth, but crumble in the mouth.
• Cook it on the stove or in the oven. Pearl barley is one of the few grains that cannot be cooked in the microwave. But in the oven it turns out perfect. On the stove it can be cooked over an open fire or according to the classic recipe - in a water bath.
• Season the cereal with butter. It is considered the best accompaniment for a barley side dish, imbuing it with a delicate, creamy taste.

If cooked incorrectly, the cereal hardens and the kernels turn into “bullets.” This happens because during the boiling process, the protein-rich “filling” coagulates, similar to legumes. To prevent this, the porridge should be cooked exclusively over low heat or in a water bath.

Classic recipe

The process of preparing a dish using the classical technology described by William Pokhlebkin seems incredibly long. But perhaps it’s worth trying how to boil pearl barley porridge according to the recipe for which it was highly valued in the ancient world and respected by Peter I. Let’s call the dish weekend porridge and get started.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 cup;
• cold water - 1 l;
• milk - 2 l;
• cream - 100 ml;
• butter - 50 g.

Preparation

1. Rinse the cereal and soak in a liter of cold water. Leave it for up to 12 hours. Drain the water.
2. Warm the milk to 40°, pour the prepared cereal into it.
3. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes with the lid open over high heat.
4. Place water in a larger saucepan and boil.
5. Cover the pan with the cereal and place it in a large pan of boiling water (in a water bath).
6. How long does it take to cook porridge? Simmer with the lid closed for 6 hours. Periodically add water to the large saucepan.
7. Season the cereal with cream, butter, mix evenly.

The classic recipe for pearl barley porridge with milk has one drawback. A lot of time is spent on preparation, although in fact, the hostess has little practical participation in the process. The cereal simmers for six hours on its own; you just need to control the volume of water in the water bath.

Having tried to make pearl barley using the classical technology only once, you are unlikely to be able to refuse this recipe. The taste of the dish will be an unexpected discovery for you, and the tender grains melting in your mouth will make you want to try it again and again.

Modern recipes

But if time is too limited, and you plan to cook barley porridge for dinner, the recipe can be adapted to modern realities. We offer you techniques for preparing a crumbly side dish with water, dishes with onion dressing and mushrooms.

On the water

Cooking pearl barley porridge in water will work quickly and with decent results if you soak it overnight. If you forgot to do this, try the following cooking technique. Boil the washed cereal for 3 minutes in boiling water, then drain the water. Then pour fresh, cold and boil over low heat for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the heat, cover for 30 minutes.

The taste of the cereal will not fully develop without soaking, but for quick results this method has the right to life. To get a better taste, use this recipe.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 cup;
• water for soaking - 1 l;
• water for boiling - 3 cups;
• salt, butter.

Preparation

1. Soak the pearl barley for 12 hours.
2. Rinse, cover with cold water, and put on fire.
3. Let the water boil over high heat, reduce it, and cook for 60 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, cover with a blanket, and leave for 30 minutes.

This barley porridge recipe will be a universal side dish for meat and vegetable dishes. In order for the kernels to boil as much as possible, let the cereal rest in the blanket for as long as possible.

With lard and onions

Try cooking pearl barley in the oven using this recipe. If you don’t like lard as a dressing, use pre-fried pieces of meat with onions. The dish is prepared in a pot, and you can serve it on the table in it.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 2 cups;
• water for soaking - 2 l;
• water for cooking - 1 l;
• onion - 1 large head;
• lard - 200 g;
• salt - a pinch.

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the onion, cut the lard into pieces.
2. Place lard and onions in a pot.
3. Place the prepared pearl barley on top.
4. Pour boiling water, add salt.
5. Place the pot in the oven preheated to 180°. Wait 1 hour.
6. Turn off the oven, do not open it. Leave the pot in it for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and cover with a blanket for 30 minutes.
8. Stir the contents of the pot before serving.

It is important to remove the container from the oven in time so that the cereal does not dry out. When ready in the blanket, it will retain its juiciness and become soft and tender.

With mushrooms

The dish is lean, vegetarian. But that doesn’t make it any less delicious! Barley goes well with mushrooms and onions. And it's easy to prepare.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 cup;
• mushrooms (champignons) - 300 g;
• onion - 2 large heads;
• water - 400 ml;
• salt - a pinch;
• black pepper - 1/3 teaspoon;
• greenery.

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the onion. Wash the champignons and cut them.
2. Fry the onion, add mushrooms, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Place the prepared cereal in a frying pan with the onion and mushroom mixture, pour in heated water. Add salt and pepper.
4. Simmer covered for 60 minutes. Check for doneness by checking the softness of the cereal.
5. Season with herbs.

The dish should be cooked over very low heat, so the pearl barley will not “curl”. This recipe can be used to prepare other cereals, for example, buckwheat and rice.

Now you know how to cook barley porridge. We hope your new acquaintance with her will be successful. And this valuable cereal, rich in nutrients, will take its rightful place on your table.

Pearl barley is a simple, inexpensive and undeservedly forgotten grain by many. Meanwhile, it can become not only an excellent side dish for meat, fish, mushrooms or vegetables, but also the basis of many salads, appetizers and soups. What can I say, pearl barley can be very tasty, even if you just flavor it with a piece of butter and sprinkle with herbs.

A little about this cereal

It is no secret that many people now treat pearl barley with slight contempt, believing that porridge from this grain is prepared exclusively for soldiers. How unfair is this! It’s not for nothing that it got its romantic name from the word “pearl,” which translated from French means “pearl.” And if we take a closer look at its rich vitamin composition, then this cereal is rightfully a pearl among all the others.

It has everything to ensure that the human body is always healthy and the body beautiful. For gorgeous hair and clear skin, vitamin B, for strong teeth and bones, vitamin D, vitamin A will improve vision and protect against infections, and vitamin E will prolong your youth.

For those who don’t know, let us immediately explain that pearl barley refers to whole ground barley grains, and unprocessed crushed grains are called barley.

So, let's start cooking! The main thing is to cook the porridge correctly, and then you will become friends with it for a long time. Especially for those who can’t find the right approach to cereal, we’ll tell you in detail how to cook pearl barley in water. In the recipe you will find not only a detailed step-by-step description of the process, but also a photo.

Taste Info Second: cereals

Ingredients

• pearl barley – 1 cup;
• water for soaking cereals – 1 l;
• water for cooking cereals - from 2.5 glasses (depending on the desired viscosity of the porridge);
• salt - to taste;
• butter - to your taste when serving.

How to cook pearl barley porridge in water on the stove

It is not recommended to cook pearl barley in water without soaking, otherwise it will take a very long time. The cereal must first be soaked in water and then the cooking process will be halved.

First of all, measure out the required amount of cereal and sort it out, since even in the best factory packaging you may encounter small pebbles and debris.

Then pour it into a fine-hole colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly under cool running water. During the rinsing process, constantly sort the grains with your fingers. Next, place the washed pearl barley in a container of a suitable size and also fill it with cool water.

Leave the pearl barley in the water for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight. During this time, the cereal should increase significantly in size. After soaking, place it in a colander (sieve) again and rinse thoroughly. Now the clean and swollen pearl barley is ready for cooking.

Bring the water in a saucepan to a boil and add the cereal.

The proportions of water and cereal depend on the viscosity of the porridge you want to obtain as a result. For example, how much water do you need for a glass of pearl barley? For crumbly porridge, take 2.5 glasses of water; for porridge of medium viscosity - the ratio will be 1:3; for a very viscous messy porridge (many people remember it from kindergarten) - from 3.5 glasses to a liter of water.

Cover the saucepan with the pearl barley tightly and place it on the burner set to maximum heat. As soon as the contents of the pan begin to gurgle intensely, turn the stove to low heat and, without removing the lid, let the barley boil for about 25 minutes.

When the specified time has passed, lift the lid: from above the porridge seems completely ready, the top of the cereal has already completely absorbed the water, but there is still a little liquid left at the very bottom. Salt the porridge to your taste (usually 1 teaspoon is enough), stir gently and return the lid to its place.

Simmer the porridge on low heat on the stove for another 10 minutes, then turn off the burner, but do not remove the saucepan from it yet, let it steam for 5-7 minutes, and the pearl barley porridge on the water will be ready!

It is better to serve pearl barley hot or warm. Season it with butter, perhaps also with a handful of herbs. Or serve the porridge as a side dish with meat (fish, mushroom) sauce and vegetables in any form.

The porridge will turn out especially tasty, and the grains will remain intact if you first lightly fry the cereal in a dry frying pan.

Pearl barley porridge is best cooked in a thick-walled container. Barley will turn out good in a double boiler or. But there is another interesting way, try it, and this porridge will forever become your favorite. In the morning, place the cereal soaked in the evening in clay pots and pour boiling water over it (the liquid level should be 2-2.5 cm above the cereal). Do not cover with lids and place in the oven, preheated by this time to a temperature of 100-120 degrees. After this, bring the temperature in the oven to 200-220 degrees and from this point leave for 40 minutes. Serve directly in the pots, adding salt or sugar and butter to taste.

You can cook porridge in a water bath. First, boil for 15 minutes, then place the bowl with the cereal in the bathhouse, wrap and evaporate for 30-40 minutes.

Not only does pearl barley make good porridge, you can cook many interesting dishes with it:

• soup with dried mushrooms or;
• porridge with chicken hearts or chicken and vegetables;
• Christmas kutya;
• or with ;
• cabbage rolls;
• perlotto (this is something like risotto, but not with rice, but with pearl barley);
• barley cutlets;
• barley with meat in pots in the oven.

Pearl barley porridge is often called “man’s rice.” It was and remains the most common dish in the soldiers' diet. Its advantages include high nutritional value and low price. But few people consider the organoleptic qualities of barley to be outstanding. Housewives add it to pickle soup, farmers use it as feed for poultry and animals, and fishermen boil it to use as fish bait. But few people cook it as a main course or side dish at home. Modern housewives may be surprised by the fact that even imperial persons did not disdain pearl barley, and Peter the Great even had it as one of his favorite foods. The problem is that many cooks do not know how to cook pearl barley porridge correctly, or they violate the classical technology in order to save time. If you follow the established rules for preparing this dish, the result will pleasantly surprise you.

Cooking features

Pearl barley contains a lot of protein-containing gluten, which makes it similar to legumes. It has high nutritional value and is especially valuable for those people whose diet does not contain meat (or is present in small quantities). But it is difficult to boil it so that it is not hard. Only by adhering to the traditional technology for preparing pearl barley porridge or knowing a few tricks of modern chefs can you cook a dish that will be pleasant to eat.

• Before cooking, pearl barley must be washed thoroughly. It is poured into a bowl, filled with clean water, then the grains are rubbed against each other. The water will darken and become cloudy; it needs to be drained, pour a portion of clean water over the cereal and continue rinsing it. The manipulation is repeated until the water drained from the barley becomes clear.
• If you follow the traditional technology for preparing pearl barley porridge, you need to soak it in cold water for 10-12 hours. For a glass of cereal, you need to use four to five glasses of water, since pearl barley swells greatly.
• It is recommended to cook pearl barley in an enamel pan with a double bottom - in such containers the porridge does not burn, even if it is cooked in milk, due to the fact that there is no direct contact of the bottom of the pan with the fire. The porridge will not burn even when cooked in a slow cooker.
• How long to cook pearl barley porridge depends on two things: how long it was soaked and how it was cooked. After soaking the pearl barley in a saucepan, cook for 40-50 minutes, in a slow cooker for an hour. If the cereal was soaked for less than 10 hours or cooked in milk, the time will have to be increased by about one and a half times. If the grains are not soaked at all, you need to cook them for at least two hours. But when cooking pearl barley without soaking, the result will still be far from expected, unless you resort to a little tricks.
• If you did not soak the pearl barley overnight in cool water, you can pour boiling water over it and leave for an hour. If you don’t have this time, pour water over the cereal and bring to a boil, cook for 5-7 minutes, drain in a colander. After this, you can fill the cereal with water and cook porridge from it according to any of the selected recipes. If, instead of soaking the pearl barley, you steam it using the method described above, it can be cooked even earlier than when cooked using the traditional method (after soaking).
• One of William Pokhlebkin’s books describes the process of preparing pearl barley porridge with milk in a water bath. If you want to cook porridge using this method, then it will take 5-6 hours to prepare the food (not counting 10-12 hours for soaking the cereal), but the result will definitely not disappoint you.

Pearl barley porridge is most often boiled in water and served as a side dish or an independent dish, but it can also be cooked in milk for breakfast.

Proportions of cereal and liquid

The ratio of pearl barley and liquid depends on whether it was pre-soaked, what you plan to cook the porridge with (milk or water), and also on what kind of result you want to get.

• To prepare crumbly pearl barley porridge from pre-soaked cereal, take 2.5-3 glasses of water or 3.5-4 glasses of milk or 3-3.5 glasses of a mixture of milk and water per glass of pearl barley. If the cereal has not been soaked, the ratio of pearl barley to liquid should be 1: 4. If the pearl barley has previously been steamed by holding it in hot water for an hour or boiling for 5 minutes, it is enough to take 2 cups of water per 1 cup of dry cereal (or 3 cups of milk).
• If you want to get a viscous porridge, take 4-5 glasses of water per glass of cereal (depending on whether the cereal was pre-soaked). If viscous porridge is cooked in milk, then the ratio of pearl barley to milk is used 1: 8 or even 1: 10 (when cooked in a water bath or without pre-soaking). If you dilute milk with water, you can take 5-6 glasses of liquid per glass of pre-soaked cereal.
• When cooking pearl barley in a multicooker, the optimal proportions are 1: 2.5 for crumbly porridge and 1: 4 for viscous porridge, if it is cooked in water after preliminary soaking. To prepare milk porridge, it is advisable to increase the amount of liquid.

The introduction of fruits, vegetables and other ingredients into a dish may slightly affect the optimal proportions of cereals and liquid. To avoid mistakes, you should adhere to the proportions specified in a specific recipe.

A glass with a capacity of 0.25 liters holds 230 g of pearl barley. A 0.2 liter glass holds 185 g of pearl barley.

Important! Pearl barley got its name due to its shape, reminiscent of pearl, that is, pearls. The cereal from which this cereal is obtained is called barley, and its beneficial properties are multifaceted. It contains more than 10% protein, which is more than rice. Barley contains a lot of lysine, so regular inclusion of it in the diet has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair. In terms of the content of potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium, barley is second only to buckwheat. It is good for the heart and blood vessels. The significant content of folic acid and iron in pearl barley makes it one of the best products for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia. The product is also recommended for feeding people suffering from obesity and diabetes: despite the fact that 100 g of pearl barley porridge contains from 109 to 140 kcal (depending on the recipe), its consumption does not provoke excess weight gain. Even a small portion of pearl barley can fill you up, and the feeling of fullness will not leave you for a long time.

• pearl barley – 0.23 kg;
• water – 0.75-1 liters for cooking porridge and 1 liter for soaking cereals;
• salt - to taste;
• butter – 40 g.

Cooking method:

• Rinse the pearl barley until the water draining from it remains clean.
• Place the cereal in a bowl or pan and add 1 liter of cool water.
• Leave the cereal in a cool place for 10-12 hours.
• After the specified time, rinse the swollen cereal and place it in a saucepan, add salt, pour three to four glasses of clean water (depending on how viscous you want to cook the porridge).
• Place the pan on the fire. Bring the water to a boil over low heat. Boil the porridge, stirring occasionally, until there is almost no water left in the pan. This will take 40-50 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat, add oil to the porridge, stir it well. Cover the pan with a lid, wrap it in a towel and leave for 15-20 minutes.

If you are fasting, you can replace the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Oil can also be replaced or supplemented with fried onions.

Pearl barley porridge in water without soaking

• pearl barley – 0.23 kg;
• water – 1.25 l;
• salt - to taste;
• dried herbs, universal seasoning - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Rinse the pearl barley well, pour three glasses of water over it and place on low heat.
• Bring the water in the pan to a boil, cook the barley in it for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Leave for 10-15 minutes covered.
• Drain the water. Add 2 cups of cool water to the steamed cereal.
• Return the pan to the stove. Cook the porridge for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until there is almost no water left in the pan.
• Add salt, seasonings and oil, continue cooking the porridge for another 5-10 minutes.

By replacing soaking the cereal with steaming, you will significantly reduce the time for preparing pearl barley porridge, but the result will be identical.

Pearl barley porridge with milk

• pearl barley – 0.23 kg;
• milk – 0.75 l;
• water – 0.5 l;
• salt - a pinch;
• sugar, butter - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Rinse the pearl barley until the water runs clear. Soak for at least 4-6 hours in cool water and rinse.
• Place the pearl barley in a saucepan and fill with clean water. Place on the fire and cook until almost all the water has evaporated.
• Add salt, sugar, butter and milk. Stir. Continue cooking the porridge until it swells. It needs to be stirred periodically to prevent it from burning.

When there is almost no milk left in the pan, remove it from the heat, wrap it up and leave it like that for half an hour. After the specified time, you can invite household members to the table.

Milk porridge from pearl barley in a water bath (according to V. Pokhlebkin)

• pearl barley – 0.23 kg;
• water (for soaking cereals) – 1 l;
• milk – 2 l;
• salt, sugar, butter - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Rinse the barley until clean.
• Pour a liter of water over the cereal and leave overnight (10-12 hours).
• Drain the water, rinse the cereal again, put it in a saucepan with a capacity of about 3-3.5 liters.
• Heat the milk to about 40 degrees, pour it over the barley.
• Place the pan over low heat. Bring the milk to a boil. Cook the porridge, stirring and making sure it does not run away, for 5 minutes. Add sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Place the pot of porridge in a large saucepan filled with warm water. Continue cooking the porridge in a water bath for 5-6 hours. It is not necessary to stir it at this time - it will not burn anyway.
• Remove the porridge from the water bath, add oil to it, stir.

Having tried pearl barley porridge prepared according to this recipe, you will almost certainly understand why Peter I loved it.

Milk pearl barley porridge in a slow cooker

• pearl barley – 0.23 kg;
• water for soaking cereals – 1 l;
• milk – 1.25 l;
• sugar – 20 g;
• salt - a pinch;
• butter – 30 g.

Cooking method:

• After washing the pearl barley, soak it in cool water for 10-12 hours and rinse again.
• Place the pearl barley in the multicooker bowl. Sprinkle it with sugar and salt.
• Using butter, draw a circle on the walls of the multicooker container. Milk will not be able to go beyond this line when boiling, which will save you from trouble. Place the remaining butter on the pearl barley.
• Pour milk into the multicooker bowl. Lower the lid.
• Start the unit by selecting the “Milk porridge” program. If your device does not have such a function, select a program designed for preparing dishes from cereals - almost any multicooker has such a program, but it is called differently: “Porridge”, “Grains”, “Rice”, “Pilaf”, "Buckwheat".
• If your unit does not automatically detect when food is ready, set the timer for 1 hour.
• After completing the main program, stir the porridge and leave it to simmer for 30-60 minutes in the heating mode.

The porridge prepared according to this recipe will be almost in no way inferior to that made according to the previous recipe, but it will be much less hassle.

Pearl barley porridge with stewed meat

• pearl barley – 0.25 kg;
• meat stew (beef or pork) – 0.3-0.35 kg;
• carrots – 0.2 kg;
• onions – 0.2 kg;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• refined vegetable oil – 50 ml;
• water – 1.25 l (or 0.75 l water, 0.5 l broth);
• salt, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Pour three glasses of water over the washed pearl barley, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Drain off excess water.
• Finely chop the garlic.
• Remove the skins from the onion and cut it into small cubes.
• Scrub the carrots, wash and dry with a napkin. Grind on a grater with large holes.
• Heat the oil in a cauldron or non-stick pan. Place chopped vegetables in it and brown them for 5 minutes.
• Add pearl barley to the vegetables, fill them with water or broth in the amount of 0.5 liters. Add a little salt and pepper if necessary.
• Simmer the porridge with vegetables for about 20-30 minutes until the excess liquid has evaporated.
• Add the stew to the barley, stir. Continue cooking the porridge for 5-10 minutes, stirring it so that it does not burn.

A tasty and satisfying dish made according to this recipe will appeal even to many of those who consider pearl barley porridge tasteless.

Pearl barley porridge with meat in a slow cooker

• pearl barley – 0.2 kg;
• water – 1 liter for soaking and 0.6 liter for cooking porridge;
• carrots – 100 g;
• onions – 100 g;
• lean pork – 0.3 kg;
• refined vegetable oil – 20 ml;
• salt, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

• Soak the washed barley overnight in cool water and rinse again.
• Peel the carrots and onions. Cut the onion into small cubes, grate the carrots.
• Wash the pork, dry it with a kitchen towel, cut into small cubes or strips, as for beef stroganoff.
• Pour oil into the multicooker bowl and place pieces of pork in it. Start the unit by activating the “Frying” or “Baking” program.
• When the meat is browned, add chopped vegetables to it and cook the food without changing the mode for another 5 minutes.
• Add pearl barley, salt and spices. Pour in water.
• Lower the multicooker lid and run the unit in the “Rice”, “Pilaf” or similar mode for 45-60 minutes. The exact cooking time depends on the power of your multicooker.
• After the specified time, mix the porridge with meat, leave the dish for 10-20 minutes in heating mode.

Pearl barley porridge cooked with meat in a slow cooker is a tasty and satisfying dish that does not need any additions.

Pearl barley porridge is not often on the table of our compatriots, although it is a hearty and healthy dish. The reason lies in the fact that few modern housewives know how to cook pearl barley truly tasty. Knowing the technology for preparing pearl barley porridge and not violating it, you will reconsider your attitude towards this traditional Russian dish.

Properly cooked pearl barley is a porridge of beauty and strength. If you want, male strength. However, not everyone knows how to properly prepare pearl barley porridge and deprive themselves of tasty and healthy food for breakfast. This hearty dish (very cheap, by the way) can be afforded by students and bachelors who do not know how to cook at all. Or people who are very busy but need to replenish their energy.

Everything is very simple if you know some of the secrets of preparing Peter the Great’s favorite porridge. If you do everything as it should and boil every grain, you will understand why barley porridge is called pearl porridge. And be sure to include it in your diet.

Proper pearl barley porridge

Ideally, it was once placed behind the damper of a heated Russian stove at night, and in the morning the porridge was ready. Or they put it for the whole day along with cabbage soup behind the same door. What is important here is time and gradual heating - the so-called simmering of the cereal.

It is also important that the cereals need to be washed well. Unwashed, it will produce a slimy mess. And we need pearl nuggets on a plate.

In the oven

If possible, the same number can be done in the oven. — Place the pre-washed pearl barley in a cast iron pot or pot in the oven. Let it first boil at 100 - 120 degrees, and then you can switch the regulator to 80 degrees and leave for 8 hours.

The porridge should be closed and there should be enough water so that the top layer of pearl barley porridge does not dry out. The proportions are one to three. One part pearl barley, three parts water.

Pearl barley tricks on the water

• First of all, rinse the pearl barley thoroughly until the water becomes clear.
• Then soak for 8-12 hours in cold water, at the rate of a liter of liquid per glass of dry cereal. After the pearl barley has infused, drain off the remaining liquid and rinse again in cold water.
• To cook crumbly pearl barley porridge, you need to take 2.5 glasses of water per glass of cereal (glass volume 200 ml). If you want to get a viscous porridge, take a liter of milk or water per glass of water.
• Cook pearl barley porridge for 40 to 90 minutes. Cooking time depends on the type (variety) of pearl barley, the size of the grains, the thickness of the walls of the pan, and the time of soaking the pearl barley.

Fast way

To cook pearl barley in water without prolonged soaking, you will need cereal, water, and salt to taste. Pour 2 full glasses of water into one glass of pearl barley.

Place the pan on the stove and bring the entire contents to a boil. Drain the water completely and refill with cold water. Bring everything to a full boil. When the porridge boils, add salt to your taste, close the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for about an hour.

Pearl barley porridge with stew in a slow cooker

Barley in a slow cooker is not easy to prepare, but extremely simple.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pearl barley
• 900 ml water
• Salt (as you like)
• 100 g good butter
• one can of stew
• 1 medium sized carrot
• 1 medium onion.

Preparation

• Rinse the pearl barley thoroughly, place in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over it.
• Cover with a lid, wait 15 minutes.

While the pearl barley is swelling, start preparing the vegetables.

• Peel and cut the carrots into small cubes,
• finely chop the onion.

Place vegetables, butter in the multicooker and turn on the “fry” mode. Fry until the onion becomes translucent.

• Rinse the barley soaked in boiling water with cold water, place it in a slow cooker and pour in 900 ml of boiling water. Add some salt.
• Turn on the “buckwheat” mode and cook until the sound signal indicates the end of cooking.
• Add salt, add the stew, bay leaf, mix well, close the lid and leave for another 15 minutes.

Serve with fresh herbs.

Barley in the microwave

To prepare pearl barley porridge in the microwave, you need to take cereal that has been pre-soaked for 12 hours.

• Place it in a microwave-safe container.
• Pour in water at the rate of 1 cup of soaked cereal to 1.5 cups of water or milk.
• Cover the bowl with pearl barley and turn on the microwave at maximum power.
• Set the timer for five minutes.
• Then take out the porridge, add salt, add sugar (optional) and butter to taste, and then close the lid again and cook on medium power for half an hour.
• The porridge must be stirred every 10 minutes.

Pearl barley porridge is delicious, to be convinced of this, you only need to learn once how to cook pearl barley porridge correctly, roll up your sleeves and cook it. Once your family appreciates pearl barley porridge, you will cook it often.

You decide for yourself what to cook it with and what you can serve it with, since pearl barley is a dish that can be combined with vegetables, fish, and meat. It is delicious on its own.

They say that pearl barley porridge was Peter the Great's favorite porridge since childhood. Is it any wonder that he had the strength to do so much in his short life?

It is true that they say that pearl barley porridge is for male strength, for female beauty, for children and the elderly. It has everything everyone needs. The main thing is to know how to cook pearl barley porridge in water, and the rest will come with experience.

Return