Barley Brown Rice (薏米糙米饭)

I guess I never satisfied with brown rice alone.  I have read that barley is good for us.  It is a very good source of fiber, selenium, niacin, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and manganese. The health benefits include aids regulatory, lower cholesterol, intestinal protection (the insoluble fibers feed friendly bacteria and this friendly bacteria prevent the disease causing bacteria to stay in the intestinal tract), prevent gallstones in women, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and etc.

In Malaysia, we have barley drink.  In Korea, they have toasted barley tea (I wanted to try this, but always forgot to look for toasted barley while in the Asian/Korean market).  They have barley and beans rice in Korea too.  So, I tried to incorporate some barley into my brown rice so that I can eat it more often.  I experienced with 1/2 cup of barley with 1 1/2 cups of brown rice and it was delicious.  I think my family couldn't tell a difference if I didn't tell them.  Slowly, I want to add more barley into my brown rice and play with the ratio some more.

Make sure you buy hulled barley and not pearl barley as pearl barley is not considered whole grain as the outer hull and bran had been stripped during processing. But if you can't find hulled barley, pearl barley is still good.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hulled barley or pearl barley
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice

Method:

1. Wash and rinse barley.

2.  Wash the brown rice and add in the barley. 

3.  Put brown rice and barley in your rice cooker pot, stir to blend well.  Add water up to level 4 in the rice cooker.  (Note:  about double the white rice water amount)  Let it sit or soak in that water for 2-3 hours.  I usually set timer in my rice cooker to be cooked at certain time and let the brown rice and barley soak in there.

  

4.  Set the rice cooker to cook.  When done, mix well and serve.