Barley porridge: benefits and harm to the body

History of pearl barley porridge

Pearl barley porridge is prepared from peeled whole grains of barley. If the grains are crushed, such porridge is called barley.

Pearl barley is not capricious and grows in almost all weather zones. Thanks to this, she was so popular in Rus'. The first time pearl barley was mentioned was in Old Egypt. Pearl barley is also mentioned several times in the Bible.

It was not for nothing that pearl barley porridge was considered “royal food”. Cooking it until tender was difficult and took a lot of time. For the nobility, the cereal was soaked, boiled for a long time, and simmered in the oven to make the porridge more tasty.

And ordinary people often ate pearl barley. It is very satisfying and was a good substitute for meat, which was occasionally on the tables.

The benefits of pearl barley porridge

Pearl barley porridge is one of the richest in various vitamins and microelements. Barley holds the record for the presence of chromium.

Cereals also contain a lot of potassium, iron, and calcium. Pearl barley is even richer in fiber content than wheat, which is why it is especially useful for digestion. Fiber increases peristalsis and serves as a nutrient medium for the necessary microbes in the intestinal tract.

The satiety of pearl barley porridge is due to the high content of vegetable protein. It saturates the body forever and fights hunger. This is important when dieting to lose excess weight.

Pearl barley improves skin condition. Moreover, both when consumed in food and in the form of nourishing masks. This cereal contains a lot of lysine, which is needed for the production of collagen. Specifically, it makes the skin elastic, prevents sagging and the appearance of wrinkles.

Pearl barley contains hordecin, a substance with a bactericidal effect. It helps relieve inflammation (Inflammation is a complex local reaction of the body to damage) and suppresses the growth of pathogenic flora. A decoction of cereals and pearl barley porridge itself are unrivaled in their fight against inflammatory diseases of the intestinal tract and stomach, and soften the mucous membranes. Barley is no less useful for liver damage.

Harm of pearl barley porridge

Usually pearl barley does not cause problems, but allergic reactions are likely. It is also better not to give porridge to children under 2 years of age.

“Barley porridge causes gas formation and constipation, so people with similar diseases of the intestinal tract need to limit pearl barley in their diet,” recommends consultant nutritionist Dilara Akhmetova .

The use of pearl barley porridge in medicine

In medicine, pearl barley is firmly established in almost all healing menus. Pearl barley porridge and especially a decoction of cereals are recommended for people with diseases of the intestinal tract. Pearl barley will also help with gastritis and pancreatic diseases. From time to time, porridge is included in the diet even in the acute stage of the disease. Pearl barley is known for its enveloping, anti-inflammatory qualities. Mucous decoctions accelerate the healing of inflamed organ membranes.

Pearl barley porridge is often eaten when losing weight, due to its low calorie content. At the same time, pearl barley is quite nutritious to saturate the body even during diets.

For people with diabetes, as well as those with vascular and heart diseases, including pearl barley in the diet can improve their health. Cereals have a low glycemic index, do not cause a rise in blood sugar levels (the internal environment of the human and animal body) , and also strengthen blood vessels.

Thrifty housewife: 7 pearl barley dishes for the whole family plus secrets of making it

Pearl barley is a cereal that can surpass rice and buckwheat. You just need to prepare it correctly and add suitable products to it. Together they are able to prove that pearl barley is more than just porridge.

Pearl barley is barley peeled from the hulls; in fact, its core is ground and polished. Thanks to its shape - oval or rounded, and its snow-white and yellow color, the cereal truly lives up to its name, which comes from the French perle (“pearl”).

The pearl barley is cooked for a long time – at least 60 minutes, increasing in volume by 3-4 times. For 1 cup (150 g) of pearl barley you will need at least 1 liter of water - for crumbly porridge. If you want to get the most viscous pearl barley, reduce the amount of water by 300-400 ml.

7 tips for making delicious pearl barley

1. Prepare barley with preparatory soaking to reduce cooking time

Wash the pearl barley with running water. Pour drinking water (140-150 g of cereal - 1 liter of water) and throw. The more time you give her for water treatments, the better. Minimum – 2 hours, maximum – 10-12 hours. The cereal will absorb liquid, will cook faster (15-20 minutes) and will become softer, but at the same time it will not be overcooked. The water in which you soaked the pearl barley must be drained and the barley cooked in unstained water (1.2 liters) over medium heat with the lid closed.

2. Cook pearl barley to make porridge for breakfast

To make porridge, cereals can be filled with milk or even curdled milk. For this you will need: 150 g of cereal, 1 liter of yogurt, 2 liters of milk for cooking. If desired, add regular or vanilla sugar to the milk. And definitely butter and a small pinch of salt when serving.

3. Cook crumbly pearl barley

If you need crumbly pearl barley, for example, to make a side dish or salad , you need to fry it in a dry frying pan before cooking. And do not soak, but cook immediately. The pearl barley will have a pleasant nutty flavor.

This is a great way to prepare pearl barley for soup. Chefs recommend cooking it separately and later adding it to the broth with vegetables/meat/chicken for 10-15 minutes. before removing the pan from the heat.

If you want to prepare prestigious perlotto (a dish similar to risotto , but made from pearl barley), first fry the cereal in a dry frying pan until light golden brown, then add butter and then cook according to your chosen recipe, for example, this one . Thanks to the oil, pearl barley acquires a special generous taste and literally will not stick together.

4. Barley in the microwave

Crumbly pearl barley can also be quickly prepared in a microwave oven (Microwave radiation, ultra-high frequency radiation - electromagnetic radiation, including the decimeter, centimeter and millimeter range of radio waves) . To do this, you need to wash it. Transfer to a suitable container, add water (1:2) and cook in the microwave at 720 W for 15 minutes. Remove the container, stir the cereal with a fork and cook for another 10 minutes. Take out the finished dish, add butter, mix and leave for 5-10 minutes. It is unbeatable to cook pearl barley in a rice cooker and slow cooker .

5. Barley stewed in the oven

If you have time, you can use the full potential of barley grain. Boil the pearl barley in a heat-resistant and fireproof pan, and then place it in an oven preheated to 140 °C for 1 hour - let the barley simmer there.

6. Salt the pearl barley correctly

Barley does not need to be boiled in salt water, as then it will not be crumbly. It is better to salt it in 2 steps: add a very small amount of salt when soaking, and add salt to the ready-made pearl barley to your liking. An exception is rassolnik with pearl barley . Since there are pickled cucumbers, there is no need to salt the cereal at all. And you can simply add salted butter to the porridge.

7. Serve pearl barley correctly

Barley must be served hot all the time. Cooled cereals are not as tasty and are less digestible.

Recipes for tried and tested dishes with barley

Mushroom soup with turkey and barley

Barley, turkey, which can be replaced with chicken, vegetable broth and frozen white mushrooms (fried champignons or oyster mushrooms can be substituted) - the base of a light but satisfying soup .

Mushroom soup with turkey and barley

Lenten mushroom soup with barley

Lenten mushroom soup with barley is so fragrant and tasty that even those who do not restrict themselves in diet will like it. In addition, it is very satisfying and thick, which, again, will appeal to almost everyone. If you like the thickest version, simply reduce the amount of water or broth.

Lenten mushroom soup with barley

Greek salad with pearl barley

Greek salad is one of the most beloved salads. Catchy, tasty and easy to make. We propose to create it in the most exciting way. Vegetable salad with pearl barley will pleasantly surprise everyone.

Greek salad with pearl barley

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley will appeal not only to those who strictly observe Orthodox traditions, or vegetarians, but also to convinced meat eaters. To save money, use only champignons or oyster mushrooms.

Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms and pearl barley

Barley stewed in milk

Barley stewed in milk

Barley with vegetables

This is exactly the option when pearl barley is fried in a dry frying pan and later boiled. The result you see in the photo. Isn't it delicious?! And here is the recipe . If you wish, you can add not only these vegetables to the pearl barley, but also pumpkin, eggplant or zucchini.

Barley with vegetables

Kozinaki made from pearl barley

Not enough people have tried this pearl barley sweetness. And this is really delicious. And completely cheap .

Kozinaki made from pearl barley

Pearl barley for a good bite

If you have a fisherman you know (father, spouse, friend, employee or neighbor, after all), do something nice for him - cook pearl barley for fishing. The easiest way to create this is in the microwave. Pour 1 glass of cereal with hot water, leave for 2-3 hours. Drain the water. Place the cereal in a suitable container and add 600 ml of clean water. Cook on high, 5 minutes. Take out the container and divide the cereal in half. Mix one half with 1 tsp. honey, and the second - with 1 tbsp. l. vegetable aromatic oil. A good bite is guaranteed!

How to cook pearl barley porridge correctly

We tell you how to prepare a tasty dish using milk, water or broth.

How to cook pearl barley porridge

Pearl barley is cooked in water, milk and even vegetable or meat broth. With all this, you need to take three glasses of water or broth per glass of cereal for boiling on the stove; this will take four glasses of milk.

A proportion of one to three is also required for production in the microwave, and 2½–3 glasses of water or milk must be added to the multicooker.

Remember

How to cook wheat porridge with water or milk

How to cook pearl barley

Sort through the pearl barley and make sure there is no debris in it. Afterwards, place the cereal in a sieve or colander and rinse thoroughly under running water. You can also simply put it in a bowl and rinse, changing the water until it becomes clear.

Afterwards, soak the pearl barley - put it in a pan and fill it with cold water so that it is a couple of centimeters above the level of the barley. Leave it for a couple of hours or even overnight (that is, in the dark) . Thanks to soaking, the porridge will cook faster and will turn out even tastier. Before cooking, wash the cereal again.

If you're in a hurry, you don't have to leave the cereal in the water. But then it will take a little more time to make the porridge.

Take note

How to cook rice porridge with milk or water

What to add to pearl barley porridge

First, when making pearl barley porridge, you need to add salt - a teaspoon is usually enough for one glass of cereal. If you prefer the most salty or, on the contrary, bland dishes, adjust the amount of salt to your own taste. The porridge can also be made sweet.

Pearl barley porridge mixes perfectly with vegetables and mushrooms. Photo: timolina / Depositphotos

Be sure to add butter to the finished porridge - this will make it tastier. You can also add fried onions and carrots, other vegetables, fried mushrooms, garlic, herbs and spices to your taste. These options are great for pearl barley porridge in water or broth.

If you want to immediately prepare a dish with meat or vegetables, for 1 cup of cereal you will need one carrot and onion, approximately 250–300 g of meat (pork, beef, minced meat) or 200 g of mushrooms.

Try to cook 🥣

Oatmeal with banana

How to cook pearl barley porridge on the stove

Place the cereal in a saucepan and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 40–50 minutes to an hour (depending on whether the pearl barley was soaked at first).

Make sure that the water from the pearl barley porridge does not boil away. Photo: ILEISH ANNA / Shutterstock

To prepare pearl barley porridge with milk, pour 1-2 glasses of water over the cereal and boil for 15 minutes. Then drain the liquid, pour in hot milk and cook for 30 minutes or longer, until the cereal becomes quite soft.

To create pearl barley porridge with meat and vegetables, grate the carrots on a large grater and chop the onion. Fry the vegetables in a deep frying pan with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil for about 7 minutes. Add 200–300 g of minced meat and leave on the fire for another 10 minutes.

Add pearl barley, salt, add spices and add water at the same rate as for ordinary porridge (1:3). Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Find out all the secrets 🌰

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How to cook pearl barley porridge in a slow cooker

Place pearl barley in a slow cooker and add water or milk. Add sugar or salt and spices to your own taste. Cook for at least an hour in the “Rice” or “Porridge” mode.

Vegetables and meat are fried in a slow cooker until pearl barley is added. Photo: qwartm/Depositphotos

You can also prepare porridge with vegetables and meat. To begin, grate the carrots on a large grater, chop the onion, and cut approximately 250 g of pork into small pieces.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into the multicooker bowl, add vegetables and meat and cook in the “Fry” mode for approximately 15–20 minutes. Then add the cereal, add water, add salt and cook in the “Rice” or “Porridge” mode for approximately 50–60 minutes. Then stir the ingredients and leave for another 15 minutes in the “Heating” mode.

Rate the taste 🧅🥕

Millet porridge on water with vegetables

How to cook pearl barley porridge in the microwave

Place the cereal in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour water in the appropriate proportion and make sure that the liquid does not reach the top of the bowl. Cook for 10 minutes on highest power. Later, stir the porridge, add sugar or salt and spices. Continue cooking for another 10–20 minutes, focusing on the power of your own device.

To create pearl barley porridge with milk in the microwave, also place the cereal in a suitable container. Fill with hot liquid so that it does not reach the top. Make sure that the milk does not boil away during the heating process. Do not cover the dish with a lid and cook in the same way as with water.

After cooking, leave the pearl barley porridge in a closed microwave for about 15 minutes.

Find out all aspects

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How to cook pearl barley porridge in the oven

Fry the pearl barley for 2 minutes over low heat in a frying pan without oil. Make sure that the cereal does not burn, but simply becomes slightly golden. Then transfer the pearl barley into one large clay pot or several small ones.

Barley porridge

Option for making pearl barley porridge. In my family, since my youth, the most common cereals were buckwheat and rice. And I really adored pearl barley. They cooked it for me in a pressure cooker and soaked it overnight (that is, in the dark) . But all this took a long time until the mother found a recipe for the “correct pearl barley.”

Faithful pearl barley porridge

The most authentic pearl barley porridge made with milk, made in a steam bath, seasoned with cream and butter. Very tasty. It takes a long time to do, but it's worth it. A stand-alone dish, no need to add anything to it. Warm, creamy, they say that Peter I adored this porridge. Naturally, it is very necessary for children and adults.

Barley porridge “The best of the best”

Even though I have been living with my grandfather for over 23 years, I never stop trying to instill in him a love of pearl barley. Read on to see what came of it.

Pearl barley porridge “Our Soul”

In ancient times, pearl barley porridge was called “royal” and at first it was popular among rich people. The name of this product comes from the French word “perle” - “pearl”. Anyone who doesn’t like it means they simply haven’t eaten deliciously cooked pearl barley porridge. I bring to your attention a simple recipe, but it turns out very tasty.

Pearl barley porridge according to Ksyu Putan

Thanks to a St. Petersburg chef, I found out how to cook pearl barley so that it comes out tasty and crumbly.

Barley porridge with mushrooms

Just delicious porridge!

Pearl barley porridge with pumpkin

An ordinary and good-quality dish with no claims to originality. But tasty, healthy, satisfying and affordable. Pearl barley porridge with pumpkin and onions. A worthy side dish or an independent Lenten dish. Try it!

Pearl barley porridge with potatoes

Pearl barley porridge with potatoes or as it is otherwise called “Silk porridge” A very tasty, satisfying and economical dish of Lithuanian cuisine, which really lives up to its name.

Pearl barley porridge with meat “Pearl”

I invite you to experience all the beauties of breathtakingly healthy and tasty pearl barley porridge with meat and green peas!

Pearl barley porridge with peppers and tomatoes

I suggest preparing a healthy, satisfying dish for you. Suitable for anyone who is on a diet or fasting

Pearl barley porridge . One of the most necessary cereal porridges for the body. The porridge given to us has a different name - “pearl”. The porridge received this name for the process of processing barley, from which pearl barley or pearl barley is made. The barley is processed in such a way that its first layer is carefully removed, then the grain is ground. The resulting grain was previously called “pearl”, which translated meant “pearl”. Hence pearl barley, and porridge made from it was also called pearl porridge.

Pearl barley porridge contains a huge amount of necessary substances, including amino acids, which prolong youth and human health. It contains vitamins (a group of low-molecular organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature) , and minerals.

In order for pearl barley porridge to be tasty, crumbly, not sticky or slimy, it should be selected and prepared correctly.

Excellent high-quality pearl barley in a snow-white color with a slightly yellow color. The grain in the packaging bag does not have to be wet. The moisture in the package with pearl barley and the grain not being dry indicate that it may be rancid and not suitable for food.

Contrary to frequent advice, pearl barley does not necessarily need to be soaked in water. Almost all chefs think so. But soaking it slightly reduces the cooking time of the product. If you boil the cereal to make porridge from it, then you can soak it for half an hour, not more. If the cereal is being prepared for perlotto, this is not worth doing.

Cereals should be washed for production. Then pour water into a cauldron or multicooker bowl so that it covers the grain to a level of 3 cm. The pearl barley is cooked for an average of 40 minutes.

Ready-made pearl barley, if there are no other recipe tips, can be seasoned with thyme and garlic. The cereal is salted at the end of its production.

Pearl barley is served with meat products and vegetable stews. But it doesn’t mix well with fish.