Pearled barley risotto with meatballs and a spinach crumb By Chef Nombini Dingela
This dish is special to me because it represents more than just food—it’s a connection to my roots and a source of livelihood for my family and many others on my father’s farm in the rural areas.
I chose barley as my key ingredient because I grew up watching my father use it to feed his cattle and other animals, while my mother baked bread with it to nourish our community during traditional ceremonies.
For the Dingela family, barley has always been a staple. Its versatility allowed us to use it in many ways—fermenting it, cooking with it, and creating a sustainable feeding system for our animals.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of pearled barley
- Mince meat
- Handful of spinach
- Seasoning( curry powder, BBQ salt, black pepper)
- Salt
- Bread( a few slices of stale bread)
- Tablespoons butter
- Oil
Method:
For the pearled barley risotto, In a pot add a cup of pearled barley and 2 cups of water, add teaspoon of salt and a crack of black pepper.
Cover and cook for an hour. once the barley is tender or soft reduce the heat and add tablespoons of butter and cream(optional) and mix then cover and let it cook for a further 5 minutes.
For the Meatballs, In a bowl add mince meat, homemade breadcrumbs and your seasoning(curry powder, salt and black pepper).
Mix well and form round small balls and set aside, in the meantime heat oil in a pan then pan grill your meatballs until golden brown on all sides.
Once meat are browned set them aside, the using the same pan add your onions and cook
them for a few minutes.Add the spices to the onions and stir until blended, then add tablespoons of tomato puree and 1/2 cup of water.
Add back the meatballs and reduce the heat, cover tour pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick rich sauce.
For the Breadcrumbs, in a blender add your stale bread and a handful of raw spinach, blend until crumbly.
In a pan add your breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil, cook for a few minutes on medium heat until breadcrumbs are crispy and slightly golden.
Season with salt and black pepper.
