2cupsbarley flakes- we flake one cup of pearl barley grain
4cupswater
3whole dates- one per person
1/4tspcinnamon powder
1tbspghee- use unsalted butter to substitute
1/4tspsalt- omit salt if using salted butter instead of ghee
1/2tsphoney per person- or 1tsp maple syrup per person
9strandssaffron- optional
Instructions
Overnight method using electric pressure cooker
In the evening, place the water in the inner pot first, followed by barley, whole dates without chopping, salf (if using) and cinnamon.
Set to cook for 3 minutes at high pressure and, using a delay timer adjust for the cooker to start the process 35 minutes before your meal. In this case there will be enough time for it to come to pressure and release it fully.
After the pressure valve is down, open the lid and stir in the ghee.
Serve the porridge into three bowls, spooning one date into each bowl and cutting it with the edge of the spoon. Optionally stir in 3 strands of saffron per person.
When the porridge had a few minutes to cool down enough to eat, drizzle some honey over each bowl. Enjoy!
Morning method on the hob
Soak the barley flakes and dates in water the night before. In this way, the porridge will cook faster.
In the morning, add the remaining ingredients, apart from the honey and cook till soft and creamy (about 5 minutes).
Serve the porridge into three bowls, spooning one date into each bowl and cutting it with the edge of the spoon. Optionally stir in 3 strands of saffron per person.
When the porridge had a few minutes to cool down enough to eat, drizzle some honey over each bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
For some variety, omit the salt and serve with a little fresh cream over each bowl.Note that according to Ayurveda, ghee & honey should never be used in equal parts by weight because of their opposing qualities, which will create toxins. (According to Divya Alter, "e.g., 1 teaspoon honey plus 3 teaspoons ghee is toxic.")