Barley is a grain that is both adaptable and nutritious, yet it does not get nearly enough praise. However, if you want to make barley at home, you most likely prepare it on the stovetop, which may be a laborious process that takes a lot of time.
Cooking barley in a rice cooker is not only an easy method to ensure that the grain turns out perfectly every time, but it also frees you from the obligation of having to prepare it on the burner.
How should barley be prepared while using a rice cooker? In order to prepare barley in a rice cooker, you must first measure out one part barley to two parts water, then add some salt to the mixture, put the materials in the rice cooker, then choose the “brown rice” option on the rice cooker. After this, the barley needs to be kept for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes before it is brought to the table.
Continue reading for step-by-step instructions on how to cook barley in a rice cooker, as well as some helpful recommendations to ensure that the dish turns out perfectly every time you make it. If this seems like the best choice for you, continue on!
The Reasons Why You Should Use A Rice Cooker To Prepare Barley
The preparation for cooking barley on the stovetop is rather extensive, and the cooking process itself does take some time. Aside from this, it may be challenging to get the barley cooked properly, and there is a possibility that the barley will burn while it is being cooked.
The following are a few of the compelling arguments in favor of using a rice cooker to prepare barley:
1. Easy Cooking
Because a rice cooker does all of the work for you, all you need to do is put the barley and the appropriate quantity of water into the rice cooker and then step back and let it do everything else.
If you choose the appropriate setting, you can let the barley cook to perfection without doing much more than selecting the appropriate setting and walking away.
2. Time-Saving
You need to be present while you are cooking barley on the stovetop. This is because you need to check on the barley to verify that it is cooking correctly, and you also need to stir the barley to ensure that it does not burn.
When using a rice cooker, on the other hand, you can let the barley cook on its own without having to keep a watchful eye on it. This allows you to go on with other tasks while the barley cooks!
3. It is less difficult to clean
It is much simpler to clean a pot that has been used on the rice cooker after it has been used to cook barley than it is to scrub a pot that has been used on the burner. The rice cooker is non-stick, so there won’t be any burned pieces that need to be removed, and cleaning it will be a snap thanks to that feature.
4. Consistent Results
As long as you put the same quantity of barley and water in the rice cooker each time, the cooking procedure will be the same each time. The rice cooker is designed to exclude any possibility of variance.
In contrast to cooking on the stovetop, which might provide varying results from one attempt to the next, you can be certain that the barley will always come out completely cooked if you use this method.
A Detailed Instructional Guide On How To Prepare Pearl Barley Inside Of A Rice Cooker
The instructions below will walk you through the process of cooking barley in a rice cooker step by step. Please keep in mind that this is for pearl barley; later on, we will cover some helpful hints on how to cook hulled barley.
Ingredients
1 cup pearl barley
2 ounces of salt Water
Instructions
- This will guarantee that the barley does not end up having a gritty texture after it has been cooked. Simply wash the barley under some cold running water for a few seconds to remove any powder that may have been left behind.
- Place the barley that has been rinsed into the pot of the rice cooker.
- In the saucepan that the rice is cooked in, mix the barley with the water.
- After adding a pinch of salt to the water that contains the barley, give the mixture a little toss to combine the ingredients.
- Put the pot that comes with the rice cooker into the rice cooker, and check that the lid completely covers the pot.
- Set the rice cooker to the “brown rice” option, and then walk away from it while it does its magic.
- After the “keep warm” setting has been selected on the rice cooker, the appliance should be turned off.
- After allowing it to stand for 10–15 minutes, the barley is ready to be served.
Notes
Even though it’s not difficult to prepare barley in a rice cooker, there are a few things you should keep in mind to ensure that it comes out perfect every time:
- When using the rice cooker, take care to choose the appropriate setting. The “brown rice” option is the one you need to use since it ensures that the barley is cooked to perfection. It also makes it possible for the barley to absorb all of the water, which results in it being lovely and plump as well as little wet rather than gummy.
- Before adding the water and barley to the pot of rice cooker, it is a good idea to gently oil the inside of the pot. This eliminates the possibility of any barley adhering and makes cleanup a lot less difficult.
- Bear in mind that the ratio of 1 part barley to 2 cups of water has to be maintained throughout the cooking process; obviously, you may cook more barley at once if there is room in the rice cooker. You won’t end up with barley that is either too dry or too mushy if you prepare it in this manner since you will get the ideal texture.