Barley pearls had been lying in my pantry for a couple of months now. I had totally forgotten about them until I recently came across a recipe that involved barley pearls. After having eaten Indian food for almost a week in a row, I decided to make something that was milder in spices. After peeping into my refrigerator for its contents, I decided to try my own barley salad with almost all the vegetables that were in my refrigerator. For a trial run, this salad tasted really good!
Barley is not only rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers, but is also a good source of vitamin E. This salad is healthy, has a good combination of all the nutrients and is pretty filling too. I did not have olives at home, but pitted olives would be a great addition to this salad. This recipe is dedicated to my friend M who is looking for a healthy way to consume vegetables in her everyday meal. The salad can be a whole meal by itself or can be served as side with a rice or sandwich main course.
Barley takes a long time to cook and hence I used a pressure cooker to quicken the process. If not cooked well, it could have a rubbery texture that might also be hard to digest. Well cooked barley will be soft and easily mashed when squeezed between fingers. Cooked barley is bland to taste and hence I added some cumin and coriander flavors, while cooking, to make it taste better. While cooking barley, it might be necessary to add a teaspoon of oil to prevent the mixture from frothing.
Barley Salad Recipe
(serves one – two)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup uncooked pearled barley
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder or red chili powder
2 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 cup cucumber, cubed
1/2 cup black beans or garbanzo beans, cooked
1/2 cup sprouts (I used green gram sprouts)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper, crushed
1 cup cabbage, cut into thin long strips
1/2 cup carrot, cut into thin long strips
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced vertically*
1/2 cup olives, pitted (optional)
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp parsley (or cilantro), finely chopped
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Method
To cook pearled barley
Thoroughly wash pearled barley and add 2/3 cup water (approx. 1:2.5 ratio). Add 1/8 tsp salt, turmeric powder, ground cumin and coriander, cayenne powder, and 1 tsp olive oil and pressure cook for about 10 – 15 minutes*. There should not be any excess water after the barley is cooked, but if there is any, save it for using in soups.
To assemble the salad
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add carrots, cabbage and 1/8 tsp salt. Saute until cabbage turns brown and the veggies are semi-cooked.
In a bowl, mix cooked barley, sauteed veggies, black beans, sprouts, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, garlic, and lemon juice. Sprinkle mint, parsley and crushed black pepper. Add lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix well and adjust salt. Serve at room temperature or cold.
* If grape tomatoes are not handy, use regular tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
* Cooking time depends on the pressure cooker. To give you an idea, barley and unsoaked black beans needed the same amount of cooking time.
Comments
This looks so yummy…. excellent photography….
Thank you 🙂