Prawn & Pearl Barley Risotto

I've only recently discovered pearl barley, the complex carb full of B-vitamins, iron and fiber.

It tastes and cooks very similar to rice, so I thought I'd have a go at making a risotto with it.

Ingredients (serves 3, easily):

• 150g peeled king prawns
• 1 cup of pearl barley (I bought mine from Tesco - 55p for 500g, BARGAIN.)
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 stick of celery
• Bowl of spinach
• 5 closed cup mushrooms
• 2x tablespoons turmeric
• 2x tablespoons cumin
• 2x tablespoons chilli powder
• Grated raw ginger (about 1 inch)

Firstly, cook your pearl barley in a saucepan with boiling water. You cook pearl barley on a 1:5 water ratio, so use 5 cups of water. Let it cook for 45 mins.

You'll know it's cooked when it starts to look like this:

After 30 mins, chop up your veg and heat a pan with olive oil. Fry the veg off until the onions sweat and then add the prawns, coating them in the spices and raw grated ginger.

After 15 minutes, add the pearl barley in to the stir fry after draining any excess water.

Add in 1/2 cup water to the prawn and veg pan, then slowly mix in your pearl barley.

(sorry about the appalling quality of the picture above.. steam and auto-focus aren't the best of friends!

Add the spinach...

Leave is simmering on a low heat for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

Serve with a wedge of lemon.

In my opinion dishes like these always taste better the day after. I left this in the fridge overnight and had it for lunch today.

Do you have any other must-try recipes using pearl barley?