So as promised in my last post, I am sharing the recipe for Barley Salad. A couple of months ago I came across a few health benefits of drinking barley water. So I went ahead and bought the smallest bag of barley I could find (what if I didn’t like it!). Unfortunately I forgot all about it as it sat in the back of the kitchen cabinet. Then very recently just as my daughter announced that she was turning vegan, (I am in the process of turning vegetarian) I started creating some space in the kitchen for new ‘vegan’ food options and it was during this period I rediscovered the little bag of ‘barley’.
I decided to try the barley water but then wondered about how to use the left over barley. Adding it to a salad seemed like a good idea.
So here is the recipe. Add a half cup of pearl barley (after thoroughly washing and rinsing) to about 3 cups of boiling water. Let it cook on medium high for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to medium low for 15 min (until the barley grains are soft al dente not mushy). Next strain the water (to drink later) and reserve the cooked barley for the salad.
Now for the salad –
Ingredients
1/4 cup of cooked barley
1-2 tsp cooking oil
1 tbsp raw peanuts
1 stalk of green onion, chopped
1/2 cup of finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup of finely shredded purple cabbage
1/4 cup of chopped carrot
1/4 cup of finely cut green beans
1/2 tbsp of finely chopped ginger
1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1/4 lime wedge
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium and add the peanuts. Let them turn brown, remove them in a small bowl and then add the green onions, green beans and carrots to the saucepan. Stir the mixture and after 2-3 minutes add the rest of the vegetables along with salt, ginger and cumin powder. Keep stirring the pan and after 3-4 minutes as the vegetables turn softer (not mushy), turn off the heat. Squeeze the lime, add the barley and stir everything evenly. Garnish with the peanuts!
Voila! your salad is good to go! Enjoy it while it’s still warm.
Some interesting pointers on Barley –
People with gluten sensitivity should avoid this grain as it has gluten and can cause nausea or cramping.
However it’s a good source of fiber and so helps maintain good digestion and a healthy body weight. Beta glucans in the barley reduce cholesterol and high blood sugar. Also this grain is great for folks with kapha dosha!
This is all for now. If you have any other ideas of using barley, please share here. I will love to read!
Happy Time Break 