Barley Salad

I would never have thought of barley as a grain that can become a part of a meal until I ate at Otto Lenghi's restaurant in London. That meal was one of the best I have had as the dishes were unusual, tasty and at the same time healthy and fresh! I subsequently was gifted Otto Lenghi's book "Plenty" and since then he has joined the list of  people who have made a deep impression on me. Through "Plenty", I learnt that tasty can indeed be healthy!
Living in a hot country like Singapore, this barley salad is the perfect meal or meal accompaniment as it is both cooling and refreshing.
This is my version of the salad, inspired by the original version. Do, give it a try and I can assure you, that it will become a weekly affair in your home.

Ingredients :
Pearl Barley seeds : 6 tbs
Celery : 3 sticks
Dill Leaves : 2 tbs
Oranges : 1 peeled, deseeded.
Pomegranate : 1 peeled
pumpkin seeds : 2 tbs roasted
Olive oil : 2 tbs ( vary based on personal preference)
Garlic: 2 cloves - peeled and chopped
salt : 1/2 tsp
pepper : to taste

Method :

1. Cooking the Barley:

 Method a:  Open Cooking : Wash the barley seeds well and then place it in a vessel with 2 litres of water. Let the barley cook in this vessel. It will take about 30 - 45 minutes for the barley to cook. It must be crunchy but not raw.
When cooked, take it off the fire. Pour out the water into another vessel and make Barley Water with this.

Method 2: Pressure Cooking : Wash the barley seeds well and then place it in a vessel with 1 litres of water. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 4 -5 whistles. Wait till the steam is released and then open the cooker. Pour out the water into another vessel and make Barley Water with this.  Make sure the barley seeds are  crunchy but not raw.

2. Mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and dill leaves in a cup. 

3. While the Barley is still warm, add this mixture and stir through the barley. 

4. Allow the barley to cool to room temperature.

5. Now add the celery, oranges and  pomegranate.

6. Adjust for salt remembering that Celery has a lot of salt in it.

7. Sprinkle roasted Pumpkin seeds on top.

8. Serve Chilled or at room temperature.

Optional Additions:

1. You can play around with what vegetables and fruits you add to this dish. Apples and cherry tomatoes go well. However, I love this as it is!

Nutrition Details :

Barley provides fibre that is required in our daily foods. It also contains a large number of nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Barley helps promote digestion.

It has a very low glycemic index among all grains. It is good at regulating insulin levels, even better than oats.

Dietary Considerations:

Nut Free ( Leave out the pumpkin seeds topping)

Lactose free