IndianMeetha dalia
Sweet broken wheat porridge
मीठा दलिया: ghee-toasted broken wheat simmered soft in milk with jaggery, cardamom and raisins, a warming school-morning porridge
On cold mornings in Punjab, Haryana and across Uttar Pradesh, a steaming bowl of milky dalia is what gets children out of the door. Fine broken wheat is first toasted in a spoonful of ghee, then cooked soft and finished in milk until it is creamy and loose, closer to a rice kheer than to a thick Gujarati lapsi. Jaggery gives it a gentle caramel sweetness, cardamom and plump raisins do the rest, and chopped almonds or a sliced banana on top make it a proper meal. It travels well in a flask for a tiffin, and toddlers who are already eating family food usually love it. Leftovers thicken in the fridge; loosen them with hot milk. Chef's tip: soak the jaggery in two tablespoons of warm water while the dalia cooks, then strain it in; this catches any grit and the syrup blends in smoothly.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 3
- Per serving
- 260 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 2 ½ oz fine dalia (broken wheat)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ⅝ oz jaggerygrated
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp raisins
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Melt 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker or heavy saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add 2 ½ oz fine dalia (broken wheat) and stir for 3–4 minutes until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Common mistake: skipping the roast; unroasted dalia cooks into a gluey, pasty porridge.
4 minStep 2: Pour in 1 ½ cups water carefully (it will sizzle). Pressure cook on a medium heat for 3 whistles, about 10 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself. In an open pan, cover and simmer for 15–18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the grains are soft and have soaked up the water.
12 minStep 3: Meanwhile, put 1 ⅝ oz jaggery in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of warm water and leave it to dissolve.
Step 4: Open the cooker, add 2 cups whole milk and 1 tbsp raisins and simmer uncovered over a low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until creamy and the raisins have plumped up.
7 minStep 5: Turn off the heat and wait a minute until it stops bubbling, then strain in the jaggery syrup and stir in ¼ tsp ground cardamom. Adding jaggery to boiling milk can curdle it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does meetha dalia take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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