Cooking pearl barley porridge in a saucepan. with butter. Classic rassolnik with pearl barley

Pearl barley is a grain with a mild, nutty flavor that is an excellent alternative rice or pasta.

IN Lately it is experiencing a rebirth due to its high nutritional value. It is increasingly added to soups, cooked as a side dish, and cooked in porridge. The taste of the finished dish largely depends on how it is prepared.

Pearl barley is obtained from barley grain. Barley itself has a very hard shell. Therefore, for ease of preparation, it is removed and the grain is ground.

Two cereals are obtained from this type of grain: barley and pearl barley. IN barley groats more is saved nutrients, since during its production part of the outer shell remains, but it takes longer to prepare.

The most delicate in taste and easiest to prepare is pearl barley. Therefore, it is more often used in cooking to prepare various dishes.

After processing, although some is lost useful substances, but there are still enough of them left. The cereal has a neutral taste and absorbs other flavors well during cooking.

Its main advantage is high content fiber, which improves digestion and function intestinal tract, helps regulate blood sugar levels.

In addition, it contains protein, vitamins, minerals, among which it is worth noting B vitamins and iron. As well as calcium, which is necessary for bones and teeth.

It is rich in carbohydrates - the main source of energy for the human body. They help you not feel hungry longer because they take longer to digest.

The great thing about this whole grain grain is its texture: it can be used to thicken soups and stews, adding some creaminess to dishes.

The only negative is the presence of gluten. Therefore, it is not suitable for people allergic to it.

Barley is very affordable product, which can be purchased at any grocery store. It should be stored in a dry place, away from sunlight in a closed container.

How to cook pearl barley correctly

Cooking pearl barley is very simple. Since this grain is harder, it takes longer to cook compared to many other grains, such as buckwheat.

You can cook cereals in water or milk. As a rule, cereals are prepared on water for side dishes, salads, puddings and other dishes.

In addition, this dish has lower calorie content, which is useful for those who want to lose excess weight.

They cook porridge with milk and prepare dishes for children.

Barley can be pre-soaked to reduce its cooking time.

You can cook it in a saucepan on the stove or oven, in the microwave, or in a slow cooker.

How to cook pearl barley with soaking

Method 1 (long soaking)

Before soaking, rinse the cereal several times in cool water until it becomes clear.

Place the washed grain in a saucepan or deep bowl and pour cold water. Take at least 1 liter of water per glass of pearl barley.

Leave for several hours: 6 hours or more. It is good to soak the cereal overnight.

After this, rinse the cereal with cold water.

Transfer to a saucepan and pour hot water.

After boiling, cook for half an hour, reducing the heat.

After turning off the heat, leave to steam for a few minutes.

Method 2 (quick soaking)

Soak the washed cereal for 4 hours.

Then drain the water and rinse again.

Place in a saucepan and add hot water in the ratio of 1 cup of cereal to 1.5 liters of water.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook for 45-50 minutes.

Remove from the stove and cover the pan with a large terry towel. Leave for a few more minutes.

How to cook pearl barley without soaking

Cooking cereals without pre-soaking will take a little longer. To prepare pearl barley without soaking:

Rinse the cereal several times in cool water;

Pour into a saucepan and add water so that it covers it by about 1.5-2 centimeters;

Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-5 minutes at high boil;

Drain the water and pour the cereal in the proportion of 1 cup of grain to 2.5-3 cups of water;

Bring to a boil again and reduce heat. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes;

Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave to steam for a few minutes.

How to cook pearl barley in the oven

In the oven, you can bring the cereal to readiness after cooking on the stove or prepare any dish right away.

Method 1 (without soaking)

Rinse the cereal well several times in cool water.

Pour in water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes and drain the water.

Add water again and bring to a boil. Take 2.5-3 glasses of water per glass of pearl barley.

Remove from the stove and place in an oven preheated to 200-220 degrees.

Cook for about 40-50 minutes.

Turn off the oven and leave the cereal for a few minutes.

Method 2 with soaking

Rinse the cereal and soak for several hours.

Drain and rinse.

Place into pots or a fireproof pan.

Pour boiling water so that the water covers the grains by at least 2 centimeters.

Place in preheated oven and cook for 40 to 50 minutes.

How to cook pearl barley in a slow cooker

It is better to cook cereals in a slow cooker by pre-soaking them.

For 1 cup of prepared pearl barley, take 2.5-3 cups of water.

Place the cereal into a multicooker bowl and add water.

Close the lid and set the “Porridge” mode.

This function may be called differently in different models. If the multicooker has a pressure cooker function, then you can cook the cereal without pre-soaking.

How to cook pearl barley in the microwave

With the advent of multicookers, this device is increasingly used for heating or defrosting food. You can use microwave for preparing pearl barley.

Its advantage is that you can prepare your own porridge for breakfast much faster. It is best to buy already steamed cereal. If there is none, then you need to pre-soak it.

For 1 glass of cereal take 1.5 glasses of water.

Pre-boil the prepared cereal on the stove at high boil for about 3-4 minutes.

It is then placed in a microwave-safe container.

Turn on the microwave at maximum power for 3-5 minutes (depending on the device model).

Then reduce the heating power and cook for a few more minutes.

For the last step, set the power to about medium and bring to readiness.

There are many different recipes preparation of this cereal. How tasty will it be? ready dish depends on the correct preparation. Take note of these tips.

The first rule is to rinse the grains well. The last water should be clear. To wash off the husk shell remaining after the production of cereals, you can rub them with your hands. Then the finished cereal will be transparent and resemble shiny pearls. No wonder it is called pearl grain.

It is better to soak the cereal for several hours before cooking. Ideal for the night. When you don’t have that much time, soak it for at least a couple of hours by filling it with hot water.

For soaking, take at least 1 glass of water per 1 glass of cereal.

After soaking, rinse the grains thoroughly.

After finishing cooking, leave the porridge to “simmer” for a few minutes, covered with a towel or placed in hot oven, near a warm radiator.

You need to salt the cereal at the very end, no earlier than 7-10 minutes before the end of cooking.

How long to cook pearl barley

Cooking time depends:

Whether it was pre-soaked or not;

From the “age” of the grains. The longer the cereal is stored, the longer it takes to cook.

Previously, cereals were boiled, or rather simmered in a Russian oven for at least 6 hours. Now it comes to our aid modern technology, which speeds up and simplifies the process of cooking many products, including pearl barley.

If you want to make soup with this grain, but do not want it to thicken it, first cook it separately and then add it to the soup.

How much water is needed for 1 glass of cereal?

The amount of water depends on what you want to cook.

For getting crumbly porridge you need to take 2.5-3 glasses of water for 1 glass;

The same amount of liquid is used to prepare cereal for a side dish;

For viscous porridge – 4 cups.

Do I need to soak pearl barley?

Many nutritionists believe that soaking helps flush out beneficial nutrients. Others, on the contrary, are of the opinion that the soaking process stimulates the growth of embryos and makes the dish more nutritious and healthy.

How many grams of pearl barley are in 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon - 30 grams;

1 teaspoon – 10 grams;

In 1 glass (250 ml) – 230 grams.

Calorie content of boiled pearl barley

Half a glass of barley boiled in water contains about:

97 calories;

0 grams fat;

0 grams of cholesterol;

22 grams of carbohydrates;

2 grams of protein;

3 grams of fiber;

2 mg sodium (cooked without salt);

73 mg potassium.

Is it possible to germinate pearl barley from the store?

Pearl barley is made from barley by removing the husks. Therefore, the grain is subject to great mechanical damage and part of its viability is lost.

It is possible to germinate it, but it is difficult. The percentage of sprouted grains will be small. In addition, this will require more time than germinating barley.

Pearl barley is very nutritious and healthy cereal It’s not for nothing that pearl barley porridge is part of the menu for the military, hospitals, schools and kindergartens, since at a low cost we get a tasty, satisfying product filled with useful substances. New technologies are advancing and there is great amount kitchen appliances who help housewives in preparing food. In addition to simple boiling pearl barley porridge in a saucepan on the stove, we will look at several more options for preparing pearl barley using modern kitchen appliances: multicooker, steamer, rice cooker, pressure cooker, microwave and oven.

How long to cook pearl barley

Depending on the method of cooking and preliminary preparation of the cereal, pearl barley is prepared different time. Taking into account pre-soaking the cereal for 1-2 hours, the cooking time will be:
In a slow cooker – 1 hour;
In a saucepan - 50 minutes;
Microwave – 25-30 minutes;
Steamed and in a double boiler – 40-50 minutes;
In a rice cooker – 1 hour;
In a pressure cooker - 15 minutes.

Preparing pearl barley for cooking
Be sure to wash the grain well, preferably in large quantities running water to wash away excess accumulated on the surface of the grain (after processing, transportation, packaging).

To ensure a better cooking result and to speed up the cooking process of the cereal, after washing it should be soaked to swell. There are several options: water, kefir, yogurt, or steam it in a thermos and let it brew. If the grains are not pre-soaked, you will need large quantity time to cook it (it will take longer to cook).

Since the taste of cereal is universal, the finished porridge can be made salty or sweet, to taste. We also recommend that you read the cooking instructions on the packaging (if there are any) - perhaps the manufacturer gives his recommendations for preparing a specific cereal.
The container for cooking should also be selected accordingly, since when soaked, the cereal doubles in size, and when heat treatment at least four times, this must be taken into account.

How to cook pearl barley in water

1. Make preliminary preparation cereals and let it brew for a couple of hours.

2. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container.


3. Add water at the rate of 1 cup of cereal to 3 cups of water.
4. Place over medium heat and cook for about 50 minutes.
5. Be sure to try, when the pearl barley becomes soft, it’s ready.


6. If desired, you can add a little sunflower, olive or any other vegetable or butter. Salt and spices to taste.

How to cook pearl barley with milk

1. You will need 1 glass of pearl barley and 4 glasses of milk.
2. Rinse and soak the cereal in water for 2 hours.
3. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container.
4. Pour a small amount of water over the cereal, let it simmer for about 15 minutes, drain the water.
5. Pour hot milk and cook until done.
6. Add butter. Salt, sugar and spices to taste.

Barley in a slow cooker

1. Rinse the pearl barley well and soak in water for at least 1 hour.
2. Drain the water, rinse the cereal and place it in the multicooker bowl.
3. Add water at the rate of 1 cup of cereal 2.5-3 cups of water.
4. It is necessary to cook in the “Milk porridge” mode; if there is no such mode, then select it individually. The approximate cooking time should be about 1 hour; select the mode for your multicooker model based on this time.
5. After cooking, the porridge is seasoned with oil or topped with gravy.


You can also cook pearl barley porridge with meat in a slow cooker (after cutting it into small pieces). Salt and spices to taste.
You can cook pearl barley porridge with milk in a multicooker - the recipe is the same, only pour milk into the multicooker bowl instead of water.
The undoubted advantage of multicookers is the “delayed start” function; you can set a timer and, without applying special effort get fresh porridge for breakfast, or enjoy it when returning from work, again using the timer correctly.

How to cook pearl barley in the microwave

Since the microwave is not the main kitchen appliance for cooking, then this method must be approached with great responsibility and dealt with, first of all, technical characteristics. The more powerful the equipment, the less time it will take to prepare. The cooking utensils must be special, for microwaves (it is not recommended to place and heat metal containers and containers with metallized elements), the bowl must be heat-resistant glass or plastic.
1. Rinse the cereal and soak in water for 1 hour. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container.
2. The ratio of cereal and water is 1 part to 3 parts.
3. Place the container in the microwave and cook at full power for 10 minutes, then take out the porridge, add salt and spices to taste, and put it in the microwave again.
4. Next, cook at full power, periodically removing the bowl and stirring - for more even cooking of the cereal. It is convenient to choose 10-minute intervals to fully control the process and monitor the degree of readiness of the cereal. Cook until done.


If you cook pearl barley in the microwave with milk, then pour hot milk over the porridge and do not cover the bowl with a lid during cooking. You also need to be careful not to overheat the container with liquid so that the milk does not overflow beyond the bowl.

How to boil pearl barley in meat or vegetable broth

1. Wash the cereal, soak in water for 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container.
2. Add broth based on volume - 1 cup of cereal 3 cups of broth. The broth should be unsalted, as the amount of liquid will decrease significantly during cooking.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 40-50 minutes. Salt and spices to taste.

How to steam barley

In a steamer
1. Soak the washed cereal in water for 12 hours (leave overnight).
2. Drain, rinse and place in a porridge container in a steamer.
3. Add water at the rate of 1 cup of cereal 2 cups of water.
4. Set the cooking timer for 30 minutes, after this time, add salt and stir the porridge, put it on cooking for another 20-30 minutes, until ready.
5. Salt and spices to taste. Texture ready-made porridge from a double boiler is particularly tender and does not require additional components (you don’t need to add oil). Due to the wide variety of steamers, you need to take into account the features different models and power, the cooking time may be reduced or increased.

Steamed in a pan
Prepare: a saucepan with a lid, a sieve the size of the saucepan. Rinse the cereal first and soak it in water for 12 hours. Drain, rinse and place the pearl barley in a sieve to cook.


Pour a small amount of water into the pan, place a sieve on top, but the water level should not come into contact with the sieve. Cover with a lid and cook until the pearl barley is ready, about 40-50 minutes. It is important that the water does not boil away! Salt and spices to taste.

Other methods for preparing pearl barley

In the rice cooker
Pre-prepare the cereal and let it sit in water for at least 1 hour. If the cereal is not pre-soaked in water, the cooking time will increase at least twice. Drain, rinse and place in rice cooker container. Cooking time – 1 hour. The proportions remain the same - for 1 glass of cereal you need 3 glasses of water. After the allotted time, you can add salt and spices to taste. If you have free time, it is advisable to leave the porridge warm for 10-20 minutes (directly in the rice cooker).

Barley in a pressure cooker
Soak the cereal in water for at least 1 hour. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container. With the lid open, the cereal should boil, salt and spices to taste are added immediately, only after that the lid is closed and the porridge is cooked until tender. The cooking mode is selected according to the instructions, but the cooking time takes about 15 minutes. The unique cooking system of the pressure cooker makes the process lightning fast compared to other kitchen appliances.

Methods for cooking pearl barley in the oven

This method of cooking goes back to ancient times, when the oven (Russian stove) was the main method for preparing hot dishes. Now it is very important to resort to old recipes and technologies, especially since this method also saves as much as possible useful composition any food that is cooked in the oven. The utensils in which the dish will be prepared are also important - it can be one large saucepan with a lid, a large heat-resistant pot or a set portioned pots(the dishes should not have plastic elements and be heat-resistant).
Make a preliminary preparation of the cereal and let it steep in water for 12 hours. Drain, rinse and place in a cooking container. You can cook porridge in the oven using water, milk or broth; salt and spices are added at the beginning of cooking, since the dish is cooked under the lid, all the vapors should remain inside and fill the dish with flavor. With this method of cooking, “in a pot,” you can immediately add meat. All ingredients will be ready at the same time, resulting in a balanced and very tasty dish.

When choosing the method and type of preparation, the dish for which the pearl barley is prepared plays an important role. Pearl barley, like many others, is a universal grain, thanks to which it can serve as both the main ingredient of a dish and an additional one.

Barley soup

Since pearl barley takes quite a long time to cook, it is recommended to boil it separately for first courses until full readiness or until half cooked. To do this, you need to sort out the pearl barley, rinse it in running water (until the water becomes clear) and soak it for several hours or leave it overnight (do not forget that when soaked, the barley swells, enlarges and absorbs water, so you need to choose a voluminous container). For first courses, it is recommended to cook pearl barley in water or steam, without adding oil. If cereal is added directly when preparing soup, then you must be sure of its quality. Stale pearl barley will take much longer to cook than fresh barley, but in any case, the barley needs to be soaked before cooking.

I would like to pay special attention to such a dish as Rassolnik with pearl barley. This dish has a long history and is very loved in our country. In addition to cucumbers, barley also plays an important role in the soup. We propose to consider the three most common methods of preparing pearl barley for this dish; they are also suitable for preparing other soups with barley.
In all cases, before cooking, the cereal must be sorted and washed in plenty of water until the water becomes clear.
1. 100 grams of pearl barley and 300-500 milliliters of water.
Pour 300 milliliters of cold water and leave overnight. In the morning, drain the remaining water, rinse again, add fresh water, and cook over medium heat until tender.
2. 100 grams of pearl barley and 400 milliliters of water.
Pour in hot water and bring to a boil. Drain the boiling water, add hot water again and cook over low heat until tender. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse.
3. 100 grams of pearl barley and 500 milliliters of water.
Add cold water and leave to steep for at least 30 minutes or 1 hour. After the time has passed, drain the remaining water, rinse, add hot water and cook over medium heat until the cereal is ready.
I would like to clarify that ready-made pearl barley can be added to soup, both hot and cold. That is, you can prepare pearl barley in advance and use it as needed. If you wish, you can even freeze it in portions and not spend extra time boiling the pearl barley if you need to quickly prepare Rassolnik.

Appetizers and salads with pearl barley

Almost any salad or appetizer can be made into a more satisfying dish thanks to pearl barley. But in order for the dish to look presentable and appetizing, the cereal must be cooked correctly. For salads and snacks, cereals should be boiled in water, avoiding complete boiling. If the barley is cooked and ready, but the water has not evaporated, drain off the excess, cover the pan with a lid and let the barley brew in a warm place for about 15 minutes. After cooking, do not add oil. Pearl barley goes well with fresh vegetables, mushrooms, meat and cheese. For dressing salads you can use: yogurt, sour cream dressings, homemade mayonnaise, vegetable oils.

Chicken breast salad
Chicken breast – 1 piece
Blue onion – 1 piece
Cucumber – 1 piece
Lettuce leaves – 5 pieces
Yogurt (unsweetened) for dressing

Salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the chicken breast until cooked. IN chicken broth cook pearl barley. Disassemble the boiled meat into fibers, cut the onion and cucumber into arbitrary pieces. Tear lettuce leaves into a wide dish with your hands and place on top chicken breast, cucumbers and onions. Drizzle with unsweetened yogurt.

Beet salad.
Beets – 1 piece
Beans – 1 handful
Sauerkraut – 5 tablespoons
Onions – 1/2 pieces
Vegetable oil
Pearl barley prepared in the salad method – 4 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste.
Boil beets and beans until tender. Cut beets and onions into small cubes, add beans, cabbage and pearl barley, season with aromatic vegetable oil.

Main courses with pearl barley

About methods and options for preparing pearl barley, how independent dish, stated earlier in the article. Now let's talk in more detail about the combination of pearl barley with other products for preparing second courses.
Delicious side dish It’s easy to make from regular pearl barley.
First you need to boil the pearl barley itself until tender in any way suitable for you. In another bowl, make the base - fry the onions and carrots, add tomatoes, a little water or broth if necessary, simmer over low heat, add the prepared pearl barley, stir and heat for a few minutes.
There are many options for supplementing this basic idea: you can add zucchini, eggplant, fresh corn, green pea, boiled beans or other legumes. Instead of fresh tomatoes can be used tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. You can prepare the mushroom base in the same way. To do this, first boil the mushrooms and then fry them, adding onions, carrots, celery root or parsley, add water or broth and heat well. At the end of cooking, add the prepared pearl barley, mix all the ingredients and simmer over low heat.


You can also diversify the main courses by adding cereals to stuffed dishes . Perlovka is not inferior taste qualities any other cereal, but many do not dare to replace, for example, rice in cabbage rolls or meatballs. You need to improve the long-familiar taste of dishes and experiment. Stuffed cabbage rolls, meatballs, meatballs, stuffed vegetables and any other dishes that we are used to in classic version easy to enrich with a new taste simply by replacing regular cereal to pearl barley. The main thing is to prepare the cereal correctly so that it does not lose its attractive shape during the cooking process. For dishes that will subsequently be subjected to long-term heat treatment, the cereal must be cooked until half cooked, for example, cabbage rolls are stewed for half an hour, so the pearl barley must initially be undercooked so that it does not lose its shape during stewing.
A bright representative second courses made from pearl barley are Perlotto or Orzotto (from the Italian orzo brillato, perlato), meaning the preparation of the famous Italian Risotto using pearl barley. If the type of rice plays the main role in preparing Risotto, then pearl barley everything is simpler, it initially has a structure that is ideal for preparing very gourmet dish using Italian technology.

Orsotto (perlotto)
Pearl barley – 100 grams
Vegetable broth – 600-800 milliliters
Onion – 1 piece
Garlic – 2 cloves
Wine – 100 milliliters (white semi-dry)
Preparing the dish begins with preparing the cereal, which must be washed well and soaked in water for at least 1 hour, then drain the water and rinse the cereal again. It is also necessary to prepare the broth in advance; it can be meat, vegetable or seafood, and it must also remain hot. Chop the onion and garlic, saute for small quantity olive or vegetable oil. Add pearl barley, pour in wine, let the alcohol evaporate. Add broth little by little and low heat simmer the cereal, the liquid gradually evaporates and needs to be replenished by adding broth. In this way, bring the dish to readiness, the pearl barley should not turn into porridge, the shape should be preserved, but the structure will become creamy and the grain will become soft. There is no need to rush and add a lot of liquid, the process should proceed gradually. In the middle of cooking, after about 15-20 minutes, you can add additional components that will decorate and diversify the taste, for example sun-dried tomatoes, or seafood, mushrooms or anything of your choice. Very tasty and original dish ready, serve hot.
Very common and delicious dish is pilaf, which can also be prepared from pearl barley. The cooking technology is completely preserved, only pearl barley is used instead of rice.

How to make dessert with pearl barley

Pearl barley, like many other cereals, has a neutral taste, so it can be either salty or sweet. The process of preparing pearl barley for dessert begins in a standard way: rinse the cereal, soak in water (milk or yogurt) for at least a couple of hours or overnight. The boiling process depends on the characteristics of the desserts. For puddings, casseroles, and baked goods with the addition of cereals, barley needs to be boiled to destroy the grain structure and give it a more sticky consistency. For cooking sweet porridge It is not necessary to digest pearl barley; it is a matter of taste. Sweet pearl barley porridge is perfectly complemented by any fruit, dried fruit and berries.

Barley dessert with dried fruits.
Pearl barley – 1/2 cup
Water – 1 glass
Fruit juice – 1 glass
Dried fruits
Jam
Sugar, vanilla, cinnamon - to taste
Wash and pre-soak (1 hour) cereal, add 1 glass of water and cook over medium heat; when the amount of liquid reduces, add juice and cook until tender. At the end of cooking, add dried fruits, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon to taste and a pinch of salt. Before serving, pour over jam.
Pearl barley porridge is an excellent sweet breakfast. To do this, you need to prepare porridge with milk, season butter, add sugar, vanilla and a little cinnamon. Serve with jam or condensed milk.

What should you pay attention to when choosing and purchasing cereals?
The regions where this crop grows are different, so pearl barley has differences. Appearance Pearl barley can range from light, even whitish in color and round in shape, to oblong in appearance and gray in color. The age of the cereal also plays an important role; if the crop is harvested recently and the grain is fresh, the cooking time is reduced, but if the cereal has been stored for a long time, then it will take much more time to prepare. Therefore, when buying cereal, it is imperative to check the production date and expiration date, since it is stored this product maybe up to 1.5 years, unscrupulous suppliers may not take this into account.

Interesting Facts
Pearl barley is made from a grain crop called barley. Cereals are undestroyed grains that have undergone external processing (cleaning and grinding), that is, a larger amount is preserved useful microelements. This processing method brings pearl barley to one of the first places among cereals.

Some people like barley, but others not so much. Almost everyone knows pearl barley porridge, but men who served in the army know its taste very well. But not everyone knows what kind of grain this is. Without going into details, pearl barley is ordinary barley, only peeled.

Briefly about pearl barley and the army. After the army, I couldn’t stand pearl barley for many years, and only at a very mature age I began to eat it little by little. And you know, I started to like her.

I think this is because properly cooked pearl barley is really very tasty. And since in the army they cooked pearl barley porridge only from barley, water and salt, it was so inedible. By the way, now in the army they don’t give it every day, as before..

By the way, there are even poems about this. I don't remember where this is from:

• And the cook came up with dinner:
• A little pearl barley
• A little oak bark
• A little road dust
• A little swamp mud -
• A soldier will not die hungry.

Step-by-step recipes for cooking barley - how to cook barley in water

Here we will look at how to cook pearl barley. How long to cook pearl barley. How to cook pearl barley deliciously.

Menu:

1. Pearl barley porridge with vegetables and herbs

Ingredients:

• Pearl barley - 2 cups (270-300 g)
• Onion - 2 heads
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Bell pepper - 2 pcs.
• Green onions - a few feathers
• Parsley - 1 bunch
• Vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Place the well-washed pearl barley into a pan and fill it with water 2 fingers above the barley. We pour so much water because the pearl barley was not soaked before. Salt to taste.

2. Turn on high heat and cook under the lid until the barley boils. After this, reduce the heat to low, just enough to simmer gently, and cook until done.

In terms of time, you need to cook pearl barley from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the variety and age of the pearl barley. To properly cook pearl barley, pay attention to the date of its production. Barley can be cooked faster if you fill it with water for 2-3 hours. Cook pearl barley from bags for 45 minutes.

3. In the meantime, let's take care of the vegetables. Finely chop the onion and about the same carrot. Pour a little vegetable oil into a frying pan, heat it up and put the chopped onion in it. Fry the onion until soft, about 2-3 minutes and add chopped carrots to it.

4. Fry everything together for another 3 minutes, over medium heat. Stir the vegetables a couple of times to ensure they cook evenly. After 3-4 minutes, add chopped onions and carrots, about the same as carrots, sweet bell pepper and finely chopped green onions.

Try to choose multi-colored peppers for the beauty of the dish. We have red and yellow.

5. Mix everything. Close the lid. We reduce the fire to minimum and wait for it all to come. About 5-8 minutes (it all depends on the stove). The vegetables will become soft. Turn off the stove and let it sit under the lid for another 10 minutes.

The porridge was also cooked. Also turn off the stove and let it stand for 10 minutes.

If you have an electric stove, remove both the frying pan and saucepan from the hot burner.

6. The pearl barley and vegetables are infused. Place the vegetables on the barley. We also send finely chopped parsley there. Let's pepper it. Mix everything thoroughly.

7. Close the lid and let stand for 2-3 minutes. OK it's all over Now. Our pearl barley porridge with vegetables is ready.

8. Place a portion into a bowl and compact it a little. Cover the bowl with a plate on which we will serve the dish. Turn it over. We get porridge, beautifully piled.

Garnish with whatever greens you like and serve.

Bon appetit!

1. Barley with meat

Ingredients:

• Pearl barley - 1 cup (200 g)
• Beef meat - 500-600 g.
• Onion - 1 head
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Carrots - 1 pc. average
• Salt, Bay leaf, cumin, ground black pepper
• Tomato paste - 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. It is advisable to soak the pearl barley in a liter of cold water in the evening so that it swells. You can soak the cereal in the morning if you cook pearl barley in the evening. Or you can soak it 2-3 hours before cooking. But this will depend on how long to cook the pearl barley.

2. Clean the meat from fat and films. You can take any meat, not just beef, even chicken. I like it better with beef.

3. Cut into large pieces.

4. Cut the onion in half, then each half in half again and cut the quarters into slices.

5. Cut the carrots into large strips, using a knife or a grater.

6. Pour a little vegetable oil into a deep, thick-walled frying pan, or into a cauldron, or into a saucepan. Heat it up and put the meat there. They interfered.

7. While the meat is fried, we do pearl barley. Place the well-washed pearl barley into a saucepan and fill it with water so that it is covered by 1 cm. Place it on the burner and bring to a boil.

8. The meat has fried a little, changed color, add onions and carrots to it. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little cumin.

9. Refill tomato paste. Throw in a bay leaf. Mix everything. Fry until the onion becomes transparent.

10. As soon as the pearl barley boils, turn off the heat and drain the water from it. Add pearl barley to the meat.

11. Level the barley without stirring and pour boiling water over it so that the entire barley is covered with water. The water should be about 1 cm higher than the pearl barley. Place garlic in the pearl barley.

12. Switch the heat to low, so that it simmers a little, close the lid and cook for 1-1.5 hours until fully cooked, until the pearl barley is completely steamed.

13. During cooking, as the water boils, water can be added little by little. But by the end of cooking there should be no water in the porridge.

14. After about an hour, our barley steamed well. Remove the bay leaf and garlic from it.

Our barley with meat is ready. Mix well. Place on plates and serve.

Bon appetit!

Pearl barley porridge does not have as many fans as oatmeal, rice or buckwheat. Often “dislike” for pearl barley appears in kindergarten, where the food is not always tasty, but they constantly talk about the benefits healthy eating. Indeed, there are a lot of vitamins and other microelements in this cereal, but this is not main reason to use it more often. After all, if food is tasteless, then nothing will make you love it. Therefore, let's find out how to cook pearl barley so that it brings not only benefits, but also pleasure.

Source of valuable vitamins, minerals and trace elements

What is pearl barley? This is the same barley, only without the husk. Pearl barley porridge is one of the simplest and cheapest, which is why many people associate it with something not very tasty. At the same time, it is often called the queen of all cereals for its rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains iron and copper, phosphorus and iodine, calcium, as well as vitamins A, E, B and D. In addition, pearl barley contains a lot of valuable vegetable protein, fiber, polysaccharides, lysine and silicic acid. Worthy reasons to try to love this porridge, right? To do this, you need to know how to cook pearl barley correctly. This is what we will learn.

Preparation of pearl barley

The cooking method largely depends on the specific dish and recipe. Barley is used in soups and side dishes, in milk porridges and pilaf, in cabbage rolls and pies. But there are several basic rules that will help make this cereal tastier. Before cooking pearl barley, it needs to be soaked in water for quite a long time - up to 10-12 hours (this can be done overnight). It will swell, become softer, and will be easier to cook. In this case, the water needs to be changed several times, and the cereal should be rinsed well before cooking.

Cooking pearl barley porridge

To prepare the porridge, take a large, capacious pan, since the barley will increase in volume several times during cooking. So, 500 grams of cereal is enough to feed 20 people. Boil water, and only then pour it over the cereal, then it will turn out tastier and be crumbly. How long does it take to cook pearl barley? It depends on its variety and harvest period. On average, the process takes up to one and a half hours. Here is the method that is considered the best for getting delicious aromatic porridge. Cook the cereal for 30-60 minutes with the lid closed, and then about another hour in a water bath or in the oven. After this, leave the porridge to simmer in a warm place for several minutes.

We call the technician for help

We suggest you try cooking pearl barley porridge in a slow cooker. This will preserve more vitamins than on the stove. How to cook pearl barley in milk? It must first be soaked (as described above), and then filled with liquid in a ratio of 1:3 (take 3 glasses of milk per glass of cereal). Add salt and sugar to taste, a little butter and set the multicooker mode to “Stew”, selecting 3 hours on the timer. Then continue cooking on the Keep Warm setting for another 3 hours. This will make the porridge more flavorful and rich.

Delicious barley dinner in a slow cooker

How to cook pearl barley in a slow cooker for lunch or dinner? The process is very similar to preparing milk porridge, only in this case add to the cereal essential vegetables, chopped small pieces, seafood or chicken pieces. Fill all the ingredients with water and don’t forget about salt and spices. After 3 hours, check if the dish is ready and, if necessary, increase the time by another hour.

Prepare delicious and healthy dishes from pearl barley

Pearl barley porridge, prepared according to all the rules, will definitely turn out very tasty, crumbly, soft and aromatic. And if you use a slow cooker instead of a stove, more vitamins and other nutrients will be retained in the dish. Bon appetit!

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 here organoleptic qualities Few people consider pearl barley outstanding. Housewives add it to pickle soup, farmers use it as feed for poultry and animals, 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 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. She 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. Just sticking traditional technology cooking pearl barley porridge or knowing a few tricks of modern chefs, you can 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 and the cereal poured in portions clean water and continue washing 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 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 container 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 boiled 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 been previously steamed, holding it for an hour hot water or after 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 If cooked in milk, then the ratio of pearl barley to milk is 1: 8 or even 1: 10 (when cooking 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 it beneficial features 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 in pearl barley along with iron makes it one of best products for prevention iron deficiency anemia. The product is also recommended for nutrition of people suffering from obesity and diabetes mellitus: despite the fact that 100 g of pearl barley porridge contains from 109 to 140 kcal (depending on the recipe), its use does not provoke weight gain excess weight. 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 porridge pan 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 her.

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.

Delicious and hearty 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. Exact time cooking 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 delicious and hearty meal, which does not need any additions.

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