Cook barley with just adequate water to cover with 1 pinch of salt. Remove the water and set the barley pearls aside.
Clean and chop the onion and vegetables.
Take a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Then add chana dal, green chilli, ginger pieces and the curry leaves. Add the sliced onion and sauté well. Now add 1 pinch of turmeric powder and then the tomato pieces.
When the tomato pieces softens, add the sliced vegetables with salt to taste and cover and cook after sprinkling little water.
When the vegetables are almost done, add the barley, stir in and cook for a few more minutes.
Squeeze in a few drops of lime and remove from flame. Barley Upma is ready. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.
a) Instead of using cooked barley, you can crush barley pearls in a mixer and use this coarse mixture in the Upma. If doing so, add adequate water after adding the barley and cook well (similar to Rava Upma).
b) Barley water is very healthy, that was the reason why I cooked barley first. Add lemon juice and a few drops of homey to barley, an excellent healthy drink is ready.
