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Barley water recipe | How to make barley water

By swasthi , on December 23, 2019, 64 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Barley water recipe, Learn how to make barley water at home. An healthy and nutritious drink to beat the heat. Most people know that barley water helps to prevent formation of kidney stones, water retention in pregnant women and treats urinary tract infections. But it certainly has many more benefits like clearing toxins from stomach, helps to reduce cholesterol and keeps the skin clear. Above all it keeps the body cool and hydrated during summer.

barley water recipe,how to make barley water

It is considered to be one of the best summer drinks keeping the body hydrated and cool. This water can also be fed to babies above 8 months old. Please consult your pediatrician before you start giving this to your baby.

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Generally barley water is served with rock sugar and lemon juice to beat the summer heat.

Barley is a grain that is low in calories and high in fiber along with many other minerals and nutrients. Regular consumption of barley helps in detoxifying the body naturally and assists in weight loss. It also keeps the intestinal tract clear and promotes healthy digestive system.

Barley like any other grain has to soaked well prior to cooking in order to reduce the phytic acid. Soaking helps to reduce the phytic acid which otherwise hinders the absorption of nutrients by the body.

There are 4 or more kinds of barley available in the market.
1. Hulled barley is the best one for consumption. The outer skin has been removed but they still have the bran. These take longer to soak, cook and digest.
2. Quick cook barley are precooked and dehydrated. These are the instant version which is not good to use.
3. Pearl barley is a refined version of the whole grain. But they are widely available in the market.
4. Pot barley is a less refined version of the pearl variety.
5. Barley grits are like broken wheat or semolina.
6. Unhulled barley is the one with the husk and cannot be used without hulling them.

For more summer beverages, you can check
Fruit juice recipes
Sabja seeds drink (tukumaria seeds)
Aloe vera juice
Dry dates juice

Barley water recipe below

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Barley water

Barley water is one of the best summer drinks that keeps you cool and hydrated. Barley water is a traditional beverage consumed by many in Asian countries to hydrate themselves during hot summer days.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time4 hours
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

  • ¼ cup Barley pot barley or hulled barley or pearl barley
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon rock sugar or pink salt as needed (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or as needed
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Instructions

  • Wash barley a few times with lot of water. Then soak them for at least for 6 to 8 hours. Soaking the grains not only reduces the cook time but also avoids flatulence or abdominal gas. 
  • After 6 to 8 hours drain the water completely. Pour 3 cups of fresh water to a pot or cooker.
  • Pressure cooker: Pressure cook till soft for at least 7 to 8 whistles on a medium flame. Pot method:  you can also make barley water in an open pot with additional 1 cup of water till the barley turns very soft and about to get mushy. Instant pot : Add the soaked barley to the inner pot along with water and press the porridge mode which is preset to 20 mins. 
  • If using hulled barley, it takes more than an hour to cook in the pot. Just keep adding more water as needed while you boil it.
  • Cool barley water completely. Strain and add rock sugar, lemon juice and relish. You can also eat up the barley along with the water or add it to salads. It can also be added to yogurt and mixed. Then topped with pomegranate arils.
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Notes

Do not use barley without soaking and cooking. It can upset the tummy due to high fibers.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Barley water
Amount Per Serving
Calories 81
% Daily Value*
Sodium 21mg1%
Potassium 103mg3%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Protein 2g4%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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How to make barley water recipe

1. Clean the barley and discard any debris.
2. Soak barley for at least 8 hours.
3. Pressure cook for about 8 whistles or till very soft cooked. You could use a slow cooker as well.Cool it completely.
4. Strain and add your favorite flavorings like lemon juice or fruit juice or a sweetener. You can also consume the grains along with water.

step by step photos on how to make barley water recipe
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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Comments

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  2. Mahendra Mehta says

    January 8, 2021

    I will try to day

    Reply
  3. Hilda Dsilva says

    December 30, 2020

    Having barley water, how soon can one be cured from urinary tract infection. Is it good having the cooked barley for UTI.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 30, 2020

      Hi,
      You will begin to see improvements after 2 days. In severe cases it is best to have this parallelly with medication. After cooking barley for this recipe, they won’t taste good at all. All of the flavor comes to the water. We usually add a bit to the water and eat at the end. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  4. Sandra says

    December 5, 2020

    Hello I was wondering if barley has any health benefits for people who have stomach problems?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 30, 2020

      Hello Sandra
      Sorry I have no idea about it.

      Reply
  5. K says

    December 2, 2020

    I have read several articles on barley water. This is what I do.
    I use Use Hulled barley only, for making barley water. I Soak it for 6-8 hours. I Cook/boil it for about 30 minutes. Barley should be tender. While boiling, I can add more water if it goes down. I drink the unstrained barley or let it cool. I strain contents, of Water and cooked barley into a nut bag and squeeze the bag to get as much water as I can. I Discard barley. I read you should discard as cooked hulled barley can be hard on digestive system. I store the hulled barley water in the fridge for up to 5 days. Try one glass per day as it contains a lot of fiber and you may go to the bathroom often. Everyone is different.
    Try making a little bit at the beginning, 1/4 cup of hulled barley to 1 1/2 cups of water. Dont forget, you should soak hulled barley first. As is boils you may need to top up water. You can even wash your face with the water for clearer skin.
    I put 1 cup of hulled barley water in my protein shake.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 2, 2020

      Hi,
      Thanks for sharing your tips.

      Reply
  6. Anuja says

    October 25, 2020

    I have barley powder..how can i prepare barley tea..please tell me anyone

    Reply
  7. Dr.(Prof.) V.C.A. NAIR says

    June 30, 2020

    Really excellent and clear explanation of preparing Barley Water

    Reply
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  9. Vinamratha says

    March 22, 2020

    Hi,

    I’ve Barely flour. Can I boil it with water and then drink? Or do I need to soak it?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      March 22, 2020

      Hi,
      You can use it without soaking. Barley can cause bloating so it is good to soak and use. Not sure if you can soak the flour.

      Reply
  10. Kavitha says

    March 14, 2018

    5 stars
    Hi Swasthi,

    My mom follows a completely different procedure.

    Dry roasts the barley seeds, powders them and using the powder prepares barley water which gets completed within 10mins.

    Is this procedure an effective one?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      March 16, 2018

      Dear Kavitha,
      It is always good to soak the grain and then cook. This helps to reduce the phytates or phytic acid in the grains. These phytates hinder the absorption of nutrients by our body. These days most population have some or the other nutritional deficiencies in the body. Sooner or later most of us are victims to this. Having grains without soaking them properly worsens these problems. Actually soaking them for at least 8 hours is best.
      The nutrition value of barley made in the above method is higher. I will update the post in detail. If you have the powder ready, then you can soak it well and prepare the water. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  11. Rajesh Kumar Singh says

    December 28, 2017

    How does we use soft barely

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 1, 2018

      I guess you can use them the same way. The cooking time should be less

      Reply
  12. Jhansi Guraja says

    October 18, 2017

    Thanks for the reply swasthi.

    Reply
  13. Jhansi Guraja says

    October 17, 2017

    5 stars
    Hi swasthi, can we have this drink in winter season.i am having this drink since two months but now in Us it’s getting cold. What time is the best to consume this drink in a day.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 17, 2017

      Hi Jhansi
      You can have it warm or hot during winters preferably before 3 to 4 in the evening.

      Reply
      • Judy says

        April 26, 2019

        Can I have ingredients for dry roasted barley for making powder? Can I use Quaker oats of quick pearled Berkeley?and how much Barkley water should I drink I only made like 1/4 of a cup

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          April 27, 2019

          Hi Judy,
          to make the barley powder, first add them to a pen and keep roasting them on a medium flame until they turn slightly golden in color. Cook and make a powder. Cook 1 tbsp of this will 2 cups water. Cool this and drink. I am not sure if this method is as effective as the one I shared in the recipe card.Hope this helps.

          Reply
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  15. Ravinder says

    May 11, 2017

    5 stars
    Hi swathi….
    Can I prepare barley water say in morning n consume anytime during the day or should it be consumed immediately or within some stipulated time period?
    Kindly reply.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 11, 2017

      Hi Ravinder,
      You can soak them in the night, cook it early morning, cool it and finish it in the next 12 hours. Make sure you keep this in a cool place.

      Reply
  16. Megha says

    March 24, 2017

    5 stars
    Hi swasti
    Good and easy recipe of barley water. But pls help ne out in hindi it is called jau and how to store thia water so no need to cook everyday

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      March 25, 2017

      Hi Megha
      Yes barley is jau in hindi. It is good if you can make it fresh everyday for the best health benefits. But if you cannot just cook and keep them in the refregerator and consume within next 48 hours.
      May be you can also try this way
      1. Soak barley good enough for 4 to 5 days and refregerate. Everyday take some from the fridge and cook in the morning or the previous night. It will cool down by breakfast time and you can have it.
      2. You can put in a electric cooker and switch on in the night with a timer. By next morning it will be ready.
      Hope these help.

      Reply
  17. Shruthiprasad says

    February 23, 2017

    5 stars
    Can we make fine powder and prepare barley water?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      February 23, 2017

      yes shruti you can

      Reply
  18. Abhay healthlogus says

    December 26, 2015

    Is it hard on digestion

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 27, 2015

      no

      Reply
  19. Aiman saluji says

    November 20, 2015

    Good information about barely.I drink water and eat soft barely which soaked in water for 4 hours ir overnight.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 20, 2015

      You will have to cook barley as mentioned in the post and then drink water. You can also eat the cooked barley. It should not be consumed raw, may cause stomach upset

      Reply
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  21. Divya says

    September 22, 2015

    is barley water will reduce weight loss.suggest me .im suffering lot of my upper abdomn tammy and hands

    Reply
  22. Chinmoy Mitra says

    August 19, 2015

    Hi,
    It is a good way to prepare barley water. But I was just thinking, isn’t just drinking the water and throwing away all the barley a wastage of a lot of stuff? Can we also eat the left over barley?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 20, 2015

      Hi Chinmoy,
      Yes it can be eaten as well. If eaten regularly one may end up bloated. but drinking only the water daily will instead keep the stomach and the intestine clear without getting bloated. The benefits of eating barley and drinking barley water are totally different. Barley water can keep us hydrated, make the skin look good, keeps the body cool, helps to prevent and deal with kidney stones and infections.

      Reply
      • Althaf Ali says

        July 9, 2020

        Should we need to discard left over barley after preparing Barley water as I am using left over barley combined with organic oats n fresh milk to make a porridge. and sweeten with honey/organic Maple syrup. Pls advice

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          July 10, 2020

          Actually after boiling them for long time they become tasteless. However they still have fiber contents so they can be used up to make salad or porridge as you mentioned

          Reply
  23. Anna says

    August 1, 2015

    I just found your barley water recipe, and am a bit confused regarding the actual cooking time. I’m using an Instant Pot, so there are no whistles. Could you please give me an approximate time it will take for the (soaked) barley to be done? (Normal cooking time – if you wanted to eat the barley – would be 20 minutes.)

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 1, 2015

      Hi Anna,
      I suppose 40 mins should work. When you squeeze the cooked barley in between your thumb and fore finger, the starchy part should come out to your finger, means it is cooked very mushy. You can also mash up the cooked barley with a masher and then strain. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  24. Raghavendra Bhat says

    April 28, 2015

    5 stars
    Thanks for the information

    Reply
  25. nagesh says

    April 27, 2015

    what if we do not add sugar or lemon juice?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 27, 2015

      It is very healthy to have without sugar, so you can skip it. Lemon juice is refreshing, if you don’t have you can still have it plain.

      Reply
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