Healthy Creamy Barley Risotto

Barley risotto is a balanced meal idea that’s easy to cook and takes lesser time than your traditional bowl of risotto. Rich, wholesome and healthier. What’s more, the taste and texture of cooked barley is staggeringly similar to Arborio rice, but has higher fiber content and thus better for you.

I love Italian specialties – they’re what comes to my mind when it comes to simple yet luxuriant comfort food. Risotto is my happy place, but I’m not a huge fan of the free starch overload and calorie bomb that is rice plus copious amounts of butter and cheese. Also, the price and availability of Arborio rice at a small coastal town called Vizag is always questionable. I’m sure that’s how the idea of substituting risotto rice with barley popped in chefs’ minds all around, given how similar their texture and size is, once cooked.

What makes barley a superfood ingredient?

The use of barley grains in place of Arborio rice is total genius from a nutritional point of view – barley is a rich source of protein and fiber, along with vitamin B-6 and minerals like iron, molybdenum, selenium and magnesium. Barley as a healthy wholegrain can

Also, by introducing barley into your regular diet you’d be eating locally-grown grains and encouraging Indian farmers to cultivate more of this low-resource consuming, soil-friendly crop.

What are the ingredients in my Barley Risotto?

Barley – Please bear in mind that this wholesome superfood comes in 2 forms: hulled and pearl. Hulled barley has its outer bran layer intact, and thus boasts of higher fiber content. Whereas pearl barley is mostly stripped of its bran cover, but still is high in nutrition and antioxidant content.

I prefer using pearl barley as its more easily available in stores, cooks quickly and offers a creamy, soft texture in contrast to hulled barley which can offer an uneven, fibrous texture upon cooking.

Water – I cook the barley pearls in plain water. You could use chicken stock too to make it all the more flavorful and nutritional.

Cheese – I’ve not skipped out on cheese – I did add and garnish with a reasonable amount; just toned it down to accommodate in my calorie count. Butter was replaced with the good old olive oil.

Spinach & Bell peppers – While the classic risotto doesn’t use vegetables, I added bell peppers and spinach for additional nutrients, color, and flavor.