Make this refreshing lemon barley water with just 4 simple ingredients! This healthy and cooling drink is nutty in flavor and can be enjoyed either chilled or hot.
Barley water is an extremely popular drink in Malaysia and is served in almost all hawker’s centers and food courts. They are incredibly refreshing and hydrating, making them the perfect beverage for our hot and humid weather!
🤔What is barley water
As the name suggests, barley water is simply a type of drink made from boiling barley. Sometimes, flavorings like lemon juice, spices, and sweeteners are also added as this drink is pretty bland on its own. This drink is really popular in various parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia.
You can either serve the water along with the cooked barley or strain them out for later use.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A healthier beverage - If you are not a fan of plain water, give this barley drink a go! It is incredibly hydrating and nourishing and is packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
- Easy to make - All you need to do is gather all ingredients, then boil until the barleys have softened. Both instructions for stovetop and Instant pot are provided, so choose whichever way is the most convenient to you!
- Highly customizable - You can serve it with or without the barley, hot or cold. I also provided a list of add-ins in this post, but feel free to add whatever sounds good!
🍋What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Barley - Make sure to use pearl barley, not the unhulled ones, which are much harder to cook.
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed ones work best, but you could also use bottled lemon juice! It can be substituted with lime juice.
- Sweetener - An optional ingredient, you can choose to leave yours unsweetened. I use turbinado sugar, but any sweetener like maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses will work.
🔪How to make
You can either cook lemon barley water on stove or in an Instant pot as mentioned above.
On stove - place barley and water in a soup pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, until the water turns cloudy, about 30-40 minutes.
Instant pot - Cook water and barley at high pressure for 20 minutes. Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure.
You can either strain out the boiled barley or leave it in. Stir in sweetener of choice and lemon juice, and it is ready to be served!
✔Helpful tips
- If you prefer your barley drink to be more concentrated, reduce the water used to 4 cups.
- Use a large enough soup pot for cooking your lemon barley water, as it will bubble and froth up upon boiling.
- The boiled barley is edible, and you can serve it along with the water. However, you can choose to strain it out and add them to salads, soups, and stews.
- If you want your lemon barley water to be cold, let it cool down completely and refrigerate it for a couple of hours. Add in a few ice cubes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
🍊Add-in ideas
- Pandan leaves - Feel free to throw a few leaves in and boil them along with the barley. The leaves are not edible, so do remove them before serving!
- Fruit juices - I love adding orange juice, but you could do other juices like blackcurrant, apple, or even mango. Start with a 1:1 ratio, adjusting it from there.
- Pinch of salt
- Spices - Add a small pinch of spices like ginger and cinnamon to spice up your lemon barley water.
❔Commonly asked questions
Barley is not gluten-free. Although its gluten content is relatively low, it is still not suitable for those intolerant to gluten. Hence, this lemon barley water is unsuitable for those following a gluten-free diet.
Barley water is pretty bland with a mild nutty and earthy taste without flavorings. Hence, sweeteners and flavorings like fruit juices are often added to flavor this drink.
🍽More vegan Asian recipes
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Barley Water (stovetop/Instant pot)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pearl barley
- 5 cups water
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- sugar to taste (optional)
Instructions
- You can either cook lemon barley water on stove or in an Instant pot.On stove - place barley and water in a soup pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, until the water turns cloudy, about 30-40 minutes.Instant pot - Cook water and barley at high pressure for 20 minutes. Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure.
- You can either strain out the boiled barley or leave it in. Stir in sweetener of choice and lemon juice, and it is ready to be served!
Notes
- If you prefer your barley drink to be more concentrated, reduce the water used to 4 cups.
- Use a large enough soup pot for cooking your lemon barley water, as it will bubble and froth up upon boiling.
- The boiled barley is edible, and you can serve it along with the water. However, you can choose to strain it out and add them to salads, soups, and stews.
- If you want your lemon barley water to be cold, let it cool down completely and refrigerate it for a couple of hours. Add in a few ice cubes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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