Dalia or cracked wheat is a healthy ingredient that is often used in Indian homes. Dalia or Daliya is used in India for making many sweet as well as savory dishes. In this post, I am sharing 2 dalia recipes.
- Dalia Khichdi – Savory version made with mix vegetables.
- Sweet Dalia – Good for kids or those who like the sweet taste.
Both the recipes are easy, tasty and shared with step by step photos. You can make either of them as per your preference.
About Dalia Khichdi
Here is a healthy and delicious one-pot meal of savory daliya khichdi made with mixed vegetables and broken wheat.
Basically Dalia is the Hindi term for broken cereals. However, broken wheat is generally called as dalia in North India.
Dalia is considered to be one of the simplest and healthy food, low in fat & cholesterol, high in iron & fiber, good in carbs. Often recommended to growing up kids or people recovering from illness.
Dalia is very easy to digest. In case your stomach is upset then dalia and moong dal khichdi are two recipes that are often recommended. Many of us must have memories of having dalia and khichdi when recovering from illness.
This dish has a porridge-like consistency. But some people make it slightly thick too. At home, we generally have dalia accompanied with yogurt but it can be had plain too. You can have this dish as a breakfast too.
The vegetables I usually add in dalia Khichdi are carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, cauliflowers, french beans and tomatoes. For a punch, you can also little capsicum also. Peas and potatoes are often used in most vegetable dalia recipes.
You can also add some mung lentils in this dalia khichdi. Add the mung lentils when you add the dalia. I make one pot meals like dalia, khichdi, veg pulao when I have less time to cook.
Some folks don’t like the bland taste of dalia as this is usually prepared for people recovering from sickness. Otherwise, if you plan to serve dalia to a healthy person then you can make the daliya recipe little spicy as well as flavorful.
How to make dalia recipe
1. Chop all the veggies. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making daliya.
2. In a 3-litre pressure cooker, heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. Keep flame to medium-low and add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in the hot oil and let them crackle.
3. Then add 1 medium-sized onion which has been chopped finely.
4. Saute till the onions become translucent.
5. Then add 1 inch finely chopped ginger and 1 to 2 finely chopped green chilies.
6. Saute for some seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger goes away on a low flame.
7. Add 1 medium-sized finely chopped tomato.
8. Saute for 1 minute.
9. Now add ½ cup of chopped potatoes, ½ cup of chopped carrots and ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen).
10. Saute for 2 minutes on low to medium-low flame. Keep stirring at intervals.
11. Meanwhile rinse 1 cup dalia in water using a fine strainer.
12. Drain the water and keep the dalia aside. You can rinse the dalia before preparing but it hardly takes time to rinse and strain the water.
13. Add the rinsed dalia to the veggies. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame.
14. Add 4 cups of water and salt as required.
15. Stir well.
Cooking dalia khichdi
16. On medium flame, pressure cook for 10 to 12 whistles or till the dalia is cooked well. Timing depends upon the quality of the dalia. So it will vary.
17. If the dalia has not cooked completely, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few whistles more or cook without the lid till they are softened and you get a porridge-like consistency.
18. Once done, garnish vegetable dalia with coriander leaves and Serve dalia hot or warm.
More Indian breakfast recipes
This recipe post is from the archives (July 2013) and has been republished and updated on 7th June 2020.
Dalia Recipe (Daliya Khichdi)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dalia (broken wheat or cracked wheat)
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped potatoes
- ½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)
- salt as required
Instructions
- Heat oil or ghee in a 3-litre pressure cooker.
- Keep the flame to medium-low. Splutter 1 teaspoon cumin first in the hot oil.
- Add 1 chopped onion and saute till they become translucent on medium-low to medium flame.
- Now add 1 inch finely chopped ginger and 1 to 2 finely chopped green chillies. On a low flame saute for some seconds or till the aroma of ginger goes away.
- Add 1 finely chopped tomato and saute for 1 minute.
- Now add ½ cup chopped potatoes, ½ cup chopped carrots and ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen). Saute for 2 minutes on low to medium-low flame. Keep stirring at intervals.
- Rinse the dalia and add to the veggies. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame.
- Add 4 cups water and salt as required. Stir and pressure cook on medium flame for 10-12 whistles or till the dalia is cooked well. Timing will vary depending upon quality of dalia.
- If the daliya has not cooked completely, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few whistles more or cook without the lid till they are softened and you get a porridge like consistency.
- Garnish vegetable daliya with coriander leaves and serve hot or warm.
About Sweet Daliya Recipe
This sweet dalia is made with cracked wheat (broken wheat), milk, sugar and dry fruits. You can call also it a sweet porridge.
This sweet dalia or meetha dalia is liked by kids too. It is also like by those people who are more fond of the sweet version rather than the savory dalia.
I do add some dry fruits in sweet dalia, but it is entirely optional. You can also add the choice of your dry fruits.
The entire recipe has been made in a pressure cooker. Though you can also cook it in a pan.
Serve sweet dalia warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be refrigerated and then served later.
How to make sweet daliya recipe
Pressure cooking dalia
1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
2. Keep flame to medium-low and add ½ cup dalia (cracked wheat, broken wheat).
3. Mix it with the ghee and on a low to medium-low flame. Then begin to roast it in ghee.
4. Stir continuously while roasting.
5. Roast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium-low flame. The dalia will become aromatic and the color will change.
6. Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. If using a large cooker, then add more water.
7. Stir and mix very well.
8. On a medium flame pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
9. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the dalia is cooked well. If not then add more water and pressure cook again.
Making sweet daliya
10. Add 1.5 cups milk to the cooked dalia.
11. Add â…“ cup sugar or add as required.
12. Mix well and keep the cooker on a medium-low flame.
13. Let the mixture come to a simmer and gentle boil. Stir at times.
14. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. Do stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Check the taste and add more sugar if required. For a slightly thin sweet dalia, you can also add more milk. The consistency of this sweet dalia is like rice kheer. Do note that on cooling the dalia thickens. so add milk according to the consistency you want.
15. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
16. Add 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews.
17. Mix well and simmer daliya for a minute or two.
18. Serve daliya hot or warm.
Sweet Daliya Recipe
Ingredients
for cooking
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ cup dalia or 100 grams cracked wheat or broken wheat
- 1.5 to 1.75 cups water
for making sweet daliya
- 1.5 cups milk or add as required
- â…“ cup sugar or add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon chopped cashews
Instructions
pressure cooking daliya
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
- Keep flame to medium-low and add ½ cup dalia (cracked wheat or broken wheat).
- Mix it with the ghee and on a low to medium-low flame, roast the dalia in ghee.
- Stir continuously while roasting.
- Roast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium-low flame. The dalia will become aromatic and the color will change.
- Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. If using a large cooker, then add more water. Stir and mix very well.
- On a medium flame pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
- When pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the dalia is cooked well. If not then add more water and pressure cook again.
making sweet daliya
- Add 1.5 cups milk to the cooked dalia.
- Add â…“ cup sugar or add as required.
- Mix well and keep the cooker on a medium-low flame.
- Let the mixture come to a simmer and gentle boil. Stir at times.
- Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. Do stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Check the taste and add more sugar if required. For a slightly thin sweet dalia, you can also add more milk. The consistency of this sweet dalia is like rice kheer.
- Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews.
- Mix well and simmer Daliya for a minute or two.
- Serve Daliya hot or warm.
Can we swipe peas and carrot with other veggies (if yes then which one) bcoz they are not available whole year …. thanks for sharing this awesome recipe
welcome alif. you can use potato, capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, spinach, french beans, zucchini.
Hii Dassanaji
Just a small doubt.
10-12 whistles on what intensity of flame? High/Low/Med
Thank you
Your website has helped me learn cooking. Thank you for it!????
suruchi, 10 to 12 whistles on medium flame. i will update in the post too.
thanks for the feedback on the website and i am glad to read it. most welcome and happy cooking.
Loved the recipe. This was my first attempt at eating or cooking daliya and thanks to you.. it was very positive. Thanks for the recipe!
thanks neha. dalia tastes good if it is cooked properly and made well. glad to read your comment.
happy cooking.