How to cook cereals – a useful reminder

When you don’t cook cereals for a long time, it is difficult to remember in what proportion to take water and How long to cook. As a rule, the method of cooking porridge is indicated on the packaging of cereals, but the basic rules for cooking exist for each specific porridge. We will not list all the cereals in one article, but we will consider the most basic ones.

Proportions of cereals and water for crumbly buckwheat porridge

Loose buckwheat porridge is prepared in a 1: 2 ratio, for one glass (cup) of buckwheat, 2 glasses of water are taken. Having poured the cereal into cold water, you need to tightly close the pan with a lid and turn on the maximum heat. After boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook the porridge for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed. For optimal results, leave the porridge for 30 minutes without opening the lid.

Proportions of cereals and water for buckwheat porridge

To cook porridge from buckwheat, you can cook it in the same way, just take 1,5 cups of water per glass, or pour boiling water over the cereal (in the same proportion), close the lid and leave overnight. Optionally, a container with porridge, and this does not have to be a saucepan, for example, clay baking pots are perfect, wrapped in warm cloth to achieve the effect of “languishing”.

Proportions of cereal and water for loose rice

Loose rice for a side dish or salad will be ready in 20 minutes, if you pour the rice groats with boiled water (1: 1,5), mix, close the lid, bring to a boil over high heat, cook for an average of 7 minutes and the rest of the time – on low heat … Without opening the lid, leave the rice for 15-20 minutes.

Proportions of cereal and water for milk rice porridge

Milk rice porridge begins to cook in the same way, taking equal parts of cereal and water, pour in milk five minutes after boiling (the amount of milk is equal to the amount of water), mix and bring to readiness over medium heat.

Proportions of cereals and water for cooking millet groats

Before cooking, millet groats must be washed with special care, at least 5-6 times, until the water becomes completely transparent. Millet is cooked by filling it with a triple volume of water (proportion 1: 2,5) under a lid, bringing to a boil over high heat, then the heat is reduced and the porridge is cooked for 40-45 minutes.

Proportions of cereals and water for pearl barley and wheat porridge

Barley and wheat porridge are cooked in a similar way (for a serving of cereals 3-4 servings of water), increasing the cooking time for barley to an hour, for wheat cereals – up to 50 minutes. To obtain friable cereals, you need to wait until the liquid completely disappears, be sure to let it brew after turning it off.

Proportions of cereal and water for cooking semolina

Semolina porridge requires constant presence during cooking, both at the stage of boiling milk – we make sure that it does not run away, and after adding cereals – stir it to avoid the appearance of lumps.

In order to cook medium-thick semolina porridge, you need to take 1 full tablespoons of semolina per 6 liter of liquid. There are many ways to cook porridge, you can combine some of them and get your own convenient and ideal option.

Semolina porridge can be boiled in water, the dish will turn out to be dietary, such porridge, especially very liquid, is included in the menu of those who have undergone complex surgeries for early rehabilitation. Classic semolina porridge is cooked in milk or with a little water in a 3: 1 ratio.

The easiest way to cook semolina without lumps is to boil water, add salt and sugar to taste, pour in milk and gently pour semolina in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Bring porridge to a boil, avoiding strong gurgling, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Then cover, leave for 10 minutes and serve.

Semolina porridge cooked in pure milk can burn. To avoid this, rinse the pan with ice water or wipe it with an ice cube before cooking. In order to avoid the appearance of lumps, mix semolina with cold water or milk, then pour the resulting mixture into boiling milk and stir.

Proportions of cereal and water for cooking oatmeal porridge (oatmeal)

Anyone can cook oatmeal, it is difficult to spoil oatmeal. The most useful flakes are those on the package of which it is recommended to cook for 10-15 minutes. The less processing the grains go through, the better. The usual proportions of cooking rolled oats are 1: 2,5, 2,5 glasses of liquid are taken for one glass of rolled oats.

You can cook oatmeal in water, milk or their mixture, the choice of the amount of milk in relation to water is a matter of taste preferences or dietary restrictions, when it comes to therapeutic or restorative nutrition.

There are several ways to cook oatmeal porridge. Pour liquid into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add rolled oats, stir vigorously, reduce heat and cook, depending on the selected flakes, from two to ten minutes. Water or milk is usually salted, and sugar is added at the very end of cooking. Close the porridge with a lid and let it brew for 5-10 minutes.

Many people pour oat flakes into cold liquid and put them on fire, with this method of cooking, active stirring of porridge is not required. Add salt and sugar during cooking, but it is much more useful to salt ready-made porridge and replace sugar with honey, jam, fresh berries or dried fruits.

For those who have only a minute to prepare breakfast in the morning, the “evening brew” method is suitable. It is necessary to pour boiling water over the flakes in the evening, cover, and in the morning send them to the microwave for 1 minute for maximum heating. Add salt, sugar, milk or cream to the finished oatmeal. The advantages of this method are that the porridge is immediately prepared in portions, in the plates from which it is eaten.

Dishes for cooking porridge

The most suitable utensils for cooking porridge are pots with a thick bottom, walls and a heavy lid. For rice or semolina, you need to take a small saucepan, but for barley – a large one.

It is better to add salt to ready-made porridge, like milk, cream and sugar. And to make the porridge even tastier, you need to let it stand after cooking for 10-15 minutes in a warm place.