Barley is a versatile wholegrain, with a nutty flavor. It is high in dietary fibre, selenium, phosphorous and manganese. Barley grains resemble the wheat grains though slightly lighter in color.
Though I know about the goodness of this wholegrain, somehow I have not used barley in my cooking. The other day for some reason I got a packet of barley, but it didn’t get used up. It was lying on my kitchen shelf for many days. Finally yesterday I decided to experiment with it. Some research on barley led me to a few basic things like soaking the barley before cooking and also that it has a chewy taste when cooked.
This is a simple and healthy recipe. The combination of cooked barely simmered in coconut milk with jaggery was an instant hit and both my daughters just loved it. The preparation of this payasam is based on the traditional Goduma Pradhaman (Whole Wheat Payasam). I thought of trying it with barley and this will be made many more times at my place. So here’s what I did for the Barley Coconut Milk Payasam:
What you'll need1. Barley – 1 small cup
2. Powdered Jaggery – 2 ½ cups (same cup as Barley)
3. Coconut Milk – 200 ml (Store bought)
4. Ghee – 1 tsp
MethodSoak barley in water for 3 to 4 hours. Pressure cook with enough water for 3 to 4 whistles. Heat a Kadai, add the powdered jaggery. Add just a little water for the jaggery to dissolve completely. Strain the jaggery syrup and pour it back into the Kadai. Now add the cooked barley and let it boil for 3 – 4 minutes. Dilute about 100 ml (i.e half of the coconut milk) with equal amount of water and add it to the barley jaggery mixture. Let this boil for about 10 minutes in medium flame. Turn off heat and finally stir in the thick coconut milk extract. Mix well. Also add a tsp of ghee for flavor.
Delicious Barley Coconut Milk Payasam is ready. Serve it warm.
Note: Barley is usually chewy even after it gets cooked. If you don’t like the chewy bite, cook for more whistles.
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