Milk Dalia, also known as Sweet Dalia, is a comforting and nutritious Indian Wheat Porridge made with broken wheat or cracked wheat (dalia), milk and sugar. This wholesome dish is lightly flavored with cardamom and often enriched with nuts and dried fruits, making it a delicious and energizing breakfast or dessert. Cooked until creamy, this dish brings both flavor and goodness in every spoonful.
About Milk Dalia
Milk Dalia is a sweetened variation of the traditional savory and spiced Dalia Recipe, prepared using cracked or broken wheat, milk, sugar, nuts and dry fruits.
It is essentially a sweet porridge that can be cooked in a stovetop pressure cooker for convenience, though a pan or instant pot can also be used.
The dish can be flavored with aromatic spices like cardamom or saffron, which add a delightful fragrance and enhance its taste.
Table of Contents
Some variations (like this recipe) also include a touch of ghee for added richness and depth of flavor. Fresh fruits like bananas or chopped apples can be added for extra natural sweetness.
This version, also known as Milk Dalia, Sweet Dalia (Meetha Dalia) or simply Wheat Porridge, is especially popular among children and those who prefer sweet dishes over savory ones.
While I like to enhance it with nuts like almonds or cashews, they are completely optional, and you can customize the recipe with your preferred additions.
This creamy, mildly sweet porridge is a popular comfort food in many Indian households, often enjoyed as a nutritious breakfast or a light dessert.
It is naturally rich in fiber, protein, and essential nutrients, making it an excellent choice for both kids and adults.
Whether eaten as a hearty breakfast or a light evening indulgence, this Broken Wheat Porridge is both satisfying and nourishing.
You may also like these comforting porridge and similar recipes:
- Oats Porridge: Creamy and wholesome, great as a quick breakfast or light meal.
- Ragi Malt: Nutritious, smooth porridge made with finger millet flour, water or milk, and lightly sweetened.
- Overnight Oats: A no-cook, chilled dish of oats soaked in milk or yogurt and mixed or topped with fruits, nuts, and seeds for a quick breakfast.
- Instant Pot Rice Pudding: Creamy, soft rice and milk based dessert made easily in the Instant Pot with minimal effort.
How to make Wheat Porridge
Pressure Cook Broken Wheat
1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2-liter stovetop pressure cooker.
2. Keep heat to low or medium-low and add ½ cup broken wheat (dalia).
3. Mix it with the ghee and on low to medium-low heat and then begin to roast/toast.
4. Stir continuously while roasting/toasting.
5. Roast/toast on low to medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. The broken wheat will become aromatic and the color will change.
6. Next, add 1½ to 1¾ cups water. If using a large cooker, add more water.
7. Stir and mix very well.
8. On medium heat, pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
9. When the pressure drops naturally, remove the lid and check if the broken wheat is cooked well. If not, add more water and pressure cook again for some more minutes.
The dalia will become soft, turn mushy, and be easy to chew. It should not feel hard or undercooked.
Make Cracked Wheat Porridge
10. Once the dalia is softened and cooked well, add 1½ cups of whole milk to it.
11. Add ⅓ cup sugar or as required.
12. Mix well and keep the cooker on medium-low heat on the stovetop. Do not cover with lid.
Alternatively mix the cooked broken wheat and milk in another thick heavy bottomed saucepan or pan.
13. Allow the mixture to heat up until it begins to simmer and then comes to a gentle boil. Keep stirring at intervals so the cracked wheat doesn’t stick at the bottom.
14. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. 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, add more milk. The consistency of this porridge is like Rice Kheer. On cooling, the dish will thicken. So, add milk according to the consistency you prefer.
15. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
16. Add 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews.
17. Mix well and simmer for a minute or two.
18. Serve Milk Dalia or Wheat Porridge hot or warm.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
Milk Dalia can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature, making it a cozy meal during colder months or chilled for a refreshing summer treat.
If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for a day. It might thicken as it sits, so just add a bit of warm milk before serving.
Expert Tips
- Roasting dalia: Always roast the cracked wheat in a little ghee before cooking. This enhances its nutty aroma and prevents it from becoming sticky. Roast until it turns light golden for the best flavor.
- Cooking method: Cooking dalia in a pressure cooker is the quickest method and ensures a soft, well-cooked texture. If using a pan, cook it on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, and adding water/milk gradually to prevent lumps.
- Sweetener choices: Instead of sugar, use jaggery or dates for a healthier and naturally sweet flavor. If using jaggery, add it after the dalia is cooked and slightly cooled, as direct boiling with milk can cause curdling.
- Enhancing flavor: Add saffron strands or a pinch of cinnamon for extra aroma and taste. A few drops of rose water or kewra essence can elevate the flavor, giving it a more traditional touch.
- Nuts and dry fruit additions: Garnish with chopped almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins for crunch and sweetness. Toasting nuts in a little ghee before adding enhances their taste.
FAQs
Yes, you can make Sweet Dalia without milk by using water or plant-based milk alternatives like coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk.
Dalia, also called broken wheat or cracked wheat in English, is made by coarsely grinding whole wheat grains. It retains the natural fiber and nutrients of the wheat.
No, dalia is not gluten-free as it is made from wheat, which contains gluten. Individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease should refrain from consuming dalia and instead choose gluten-free options such as quinoa, rice or millet porridge.
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Milk Dalia (Cracked Wheat Porridge)
Ingredients
For cooking broken wheat
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ cup (100 grams) cup dalia (cracked wheat or broken wheat)
- 1½ to 1¾ cups water
More ingredients
- 1½ cups milk or add as required
- ⅓ cup sugar or add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon almonds – chopped or slivered
- 1 tablespoon cashews – chopped
Instructions
Pressure cooking broken wheat
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
- Keep heat to low or medium-low and add the cup dalia (cracked wheat or broken wheat).
- Mix it with the ghee and on a low to medium-low heat, roast/toast the cracked wheat in ghee.
- Stir continuously while roasting/toasting.
- Roast/toast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. The cracked wheat will become aromatic and its color will change.
- Next add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. If using a large cooker add more water. Stir and mix very well.
- On a medium heat pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
- When pressure drops naturally and settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the cracked wheat is cooked well and softened. If not then add more water and pressure cook again for some more minutes.
Making wheat porridge
- Ensure the cracked wheat has nicely softened and cooked well.
- Next add milk and sugar to the cooked cracked wheat in the pressure cooker.
- Mix thoroughly and keep the cooker on the stovetop on a low to medium-low heat, uncovered.
- Let the mixture come to a simmer and a gentle boil. Stir at times.
- Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes uncovered. Make sure to stir often so that the cracked wheat does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Check the taste and add more sugar if needed.
- For a slightly thin Sweet Dalia, you can also add more milk.
- Next add the cardamom powder, followed by chopped almonds and cashews.
- Mix well and simmer Milk Daliya for a minute or two.
- Turn off heat. Serve the Sweet Daliya hot or warm. Keep in mind that the Wheat Porridge thickens as it cools.
Notes
- Roast the cracked wheat in ghee for a few minutes on low to medium heat until it turns aromatic and light golden. This step enhances both taste and texture.
- Make sure to cook dalia in water first to soften it faster, then add milk for a creamier finish.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan or stovetop pressure cooker to prevent sticking or burning while simmering.
- Keep stirring regularly once milk is added, especially as it thickens.
- Simmer on low or medium-low heat for a creamy and well-cooked consistency.
- Add sugar together with milk only after cracked wheat is fully cooked, or it may remain slightly undercooked.
- The consistency of this Milk Dalia is similar to a kheer. Easily adjust the consistency by adding less or more milk. For a slightly thick version, add less milk and for a thinner consistency, add more milk.
- The recipe can be scaled to make for less or more servings.
