PUMPKIN BARLEY DRINK

I had this drink [warm] at a Kopitiam somewhere near Jalan Ipoh during my recent trip to KL. It was so good that I fell in love with it. We asked whether they serve this drink daily but was told ‘It depends’. There is a brewed drink daily but they can’t  tell us what exactly and the schedule. Looks like we have to visit this Kopitiam every day which was what we did after our morning exercise at the Metropolitan park nearby. Too bad, we didn’t manage to have another mug of this drink before we left KL cos’ they prepared other drinks like sugar cane and various herbal teas etc during the next few days.

I had started looking for the recipe and saw one by HK Choo [Jottings of Life] which look quite similar but hers is like dessert. 

The first time I prepared this drink the consistency was not like the one I had in KL probably because I added too little pumpkin. This time I added more pumpkin puree and it is almost similar to what I had but less sweet.  Now, I’m happy to share the recipe here but you can reduce or add water depending on whether you like to serve it as a drink or thick dessert.   I add more water cos' I like it as a drink.

Ingredients

[serves 5-6]

500 gm pumpkin 

100 gm pearl barley - rinsed

2-3 blades pandan leaves [knotted]

1.2 litres water

150 gm sugar to taste [I used brown sugar]

1. Steam pumpkin with skin till soft [about 40 minutes] and scrap out the flesh. Mash it into puree and set aside.
2. Bring water to boil in a pot, add in barley and pandan leaves. Boil barley till soft, add in pumpkin puree and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Add in sugar to taste.
4. Serve warm or chilled.
   
   
    

I'm submitting this post to the Best Recipes for Everyone
July 2015 Event : I have a date with "Pumpkin"
organized by Fion of XuanHom's Mom 
and co-hosted by Rachel