Potato Barley

Bought some pearl barley the other day with an intent to try using it inspired by another dish I had at the home of my Turkish friend Fahriye. Ended up with this dish but it needs some tweaking to make it taste better. However, the friend who got to be guinea pig (thanks Laura!) said it was fine the way it was but could use more lime than I had used. So, try it and tell me what you think!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 2-3 brown, fist sized potatoes, boiled
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and grated
• a handful of any nut (I used peanuts)
• 1-1.5 limes or lemons juiced
• Salt to taste
• Chili powder, to taste
• Parsley chopped, a handful (or coriander leaves)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

I used my trusty pressure cooker to cook the barley. I used water to equal twice the quantity of pearl barley. When the cooker released steam, I reduced it and cooked for 3 minutes. The next time, I will try 1.75 times water and cook for about the same time. I did not follow times and water quantity recommended on various websites which said to use up to x4 the amount of water and 20 minutes of cooking time, at which point, I might have been drinking the barley rather than eating it! I would suggest starting with twice the water, bringing to a boil, covering and simmering on the lowest setting for 10-12 minutes. If all the water gets absorbed before it is cooked through, add 1/4 cup of hot water at a time. Keep track and the next time you make it, add a little less than the total water you added and adjust simmering time. Once cooked, it is easy to assemble it all.

Fluff and put the barley in a large dish. Add small bite sized pieces of cubed, boiled potato, the nuts, grated carrot, salt and chili powder to taste, lime/lemon juice and olive oil. Gently mix, making sure to keep it fluffed and not mashed into a mush! Spread on a platter or a dish and add chopped parsley or coriander leaves to taste.

According to the USDA website, 1 cooked cup of barley contains 193 calories, 4g of protein, 1g of fat, and trace elements. This recipe yields about 5 loosely packed cups of finished product and is pretty filling for 3-4 adults.

Mixed Vegetables, Indian style

So, here is a recipe for this colorful mixed vegetables that I made using ingredients in my fridge that just had to be used up. We had them with pooris (deep-fried Indian flatbread; oh so unhealthy but dreadfully tasty!), mango pulp (get a good brand like Ratna Kesar pulp from the Indian store, pour it out, chill it and sprinkle powdered cardamom on top), and yogurt.

Ingredients

• 2-3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (I used russet potatoes)
• Finger or Mini bell peppers cut into bite sized pieces
• Roughly chopped kale – a few large handfuls
• Cumin seeds 1/2 – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric 1/4 – 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida powder – to taste and optional
• Chilli powder – to taste
• Oil – 1-2 Tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Heat oil in a cast iron dish, wok or non stick pot. Add mustard and as soon as it starts to pop, toss in the cumin seeds. Stir and add in raw potato. Cook on medium-low heat covered. Stir to prevent sticking. It it starts to stick, add a tablespoon or so of water and reduce heat further. When it starts to cook and seems halfway cooked, open, add turmeric, asafoetida, chilli powder and salt and stir in. Add the peppers and kale and cook till the potato is firm but cooked all the way through. Serve hot with some sort of bread and a lentil based dish. For those who like a more moist vegetable, you can roughly chop a tomato or two and toss in with the kale. The tomato will fall apart on cooking, but won’t become too mushy. I like my bell peppers and kale just cooked, but still crunchy. If you do not, cook them until you are happy with how cooked they are! Enjoy. If you try it, let me know with a comment on the blog.