Barley Balls Recipe

I would like to share with you today a recipe from Trupp’s Wholefood Kitchen Cookbook.

This is one of my favourite wholegrain dishes.

Barley is known for its high fibre content that will feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut and speed up the transit time through the digestive system.

It is a warming grain, meaning that it will warm you up during the colder months. It also has a beneficial effect on blood glucose levels, because of high content of soluble and insoluble fibre; it is digested slowly and provides us with steady supply of glucose.

For all my readers who are healing the gut, this dish is not recommended, as the high fibre content will feed the bad bacteria in your gut and irritate digestive lining. (Bad bacteria overgrowth is common finding in people experiencing digestive issues and fibre will fuel the overgrowth of bad bacteria, as much as it feeds the good bacteria in a healthy gut). Also complex starches are harder to digest for those who’s digestion is not optimal and undigested gluten that escapes into the bloodstain can cause problems in relation to immune system function.

You may see now, that grains are beneficial foods to those who have a strong and healthy digestive system and not so healthy for those who experience digestive troubles.

Those who wish to improve digestive health should stay away from grains and beans for some time and perhaps utilise a gut healing diet (that I can help you with).

Enjoy the recipe everyone and have a wonderful day!

Barley Balls Recipe

By Walter Trupp

Makes:    4 serves

2 cup barley

4 cups of vegetable stock

1 medium sized onion, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons of  butter or coconut oil
Method

Chop onion and garlic finely and place into a stockpot.

Add the stock and bring to boil.

If you have a grain mill grind the barley coarsely, otherwise place it into a blender or mortar and crush them till they become quiet gritty.

When the water is boiling add the barley and whilst constantly stirring bring to the boil, then reduce the heat.  Cover the pot with a lid and cook on a very low heat until all the water is absorbed (approx. 20 minutes).   During this time stir the mix from time to time.

When cooked remove the pot from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cool.

Heat your oven to 200 degrees

When the barley mixture is cool enough to work, moisten your hands with water and shape into golf ball sized balls.

Grease a deep oven tray with butter or coconut oil and place the barley balls into it.

Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.

Shake the balls around from time to time so they are nicely coated with the oil and so prevent them from drying out.

Serve with sour cream and dill