Healthy recipe - Barley Salad

This barley salad is healthy, colourful and filling enough to have for a meal.

For the longest time, I used to think that eating healthy meant eating boring. For me healthy food, or diet food, was bland, tasteless and the 'Indian' salad of diced cucumber, carrot and beetroot. When I was introduced to the concept of salads, as they really are, I was in love! Salads are so interesting, colourful, nutritious and not bland at all. I love playing around with ingredients and making my salads delicious and nutritious. I have figured that adding some grain to the salads makes it more filling and definitely satisfying to eat for someone like me who needs carbs to feel like I have eaten a complete meal. Barley is my go-to grain for salads as it is full of fiber and does not make me feel bloated. This recipe of barley salad is my favourite, and I am sure you will like it too.

Ingredients

• Barley, cooked - 2 cups
• Bell peppers, yellow and red, diced - 1 cup
• Corn, boiled - 1/2 cup
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in halves - about 6-7
• Iceberg lettuce, chopped - 1 cup
• Mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed - 1/2 cup
• Chicken, boiled and shredded - 1/2 cup
• Parsley and mint leaves - 2-3 tbsp
• Peanuts and sesame seeds - a handful to sprinkle
• Seasoning - salt, black pepper, red chilli flakes and garlic powder
• Olive oil to drizzle

Method

• The base of this salad is barley. To cook 2 cups of barley, take about 4 tbsp of the raw grain and wash it thoroughly. Barley increases in quantity when cooked, so don't take too much of it. After it is washed, you can either let it soak in water for a few minutes or cook it straightaway. Put it in a pressure cooker and add about one and half cup of water. Drizzle a little oil, so that the grains don't get sticky, and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and put put the cooker's lid on. Cook it for 4-5 whistles. Let it cool in the cooker before you serve it in the salad bowl. Once cool, give it a light stir with a broad wooden spoon and serve it in the salad bowl. We will add the other ingredients on top of the barley, which should have been cooled by now.
• Now add all the ingredients, except the peanuts and sesame seeds. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
• Drizzle a little olive oil for dressing and give the salad a good mix.
• Sprinkle the nuts and sesame just before serving. It gives the salad a good crunchy texture.

Tip

• You can add some lemon juice to give the salad a tangy taste.
• I sometimes like to add a spoon of honey, and slightly more black pepper to make it a little more spicy.
• If you find the salad to dry, or if you wish to eat for a meal, you can add a little skimmed cream. Add it right before eating.

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