Cracked Wheat Porridge/ Meetha Daliya

Daliya or cracked (broken) wheat can be prepared in many ways. One can make sweet as well as savory dishes using daliya. High in its nutrients value daliya makes an excellent source of energy. Preparation of meetha (sweet) daliya is quite simple and easy. The key thing here is of roasting the daliya.

A good roasted daliya, results in a great tasting and flavorful daliya. Traditionally, daliya or cracked(broken) wheat is roasted in ghee or clarified butter, cooked with milk and sugar to give it a nice, rich and creamy texture. Flavors from green cardamom powder and freshly grated nutmeg fill the air with sweet aroma ? Milk gives this daliya a nice, thick porridge like consistency. Nuts add a nice crunch and pack lot of nutrition and flavor to this dish.

Traditionally, meetha (sweet) daliya is made using sugar or jaggery. However, you can make this with your choice of sweeter. Please refer to -How to make Meetha (sweet) daliya refined sugar-free?

Jaggery adds a nice caramelized flavor to this recipe. There are mainly two types of jaggery available here in most Indian/Asian grocery stores. Dark colored jaggery and light colored jaggery. I prefer dark colored jaggery as it adds nice caramelized flavor to the dish. Light colored jaggery has quite mild flavors and is less sweet as compared to dark colored jaggery. Brown sugar may also be substituted in place of jaggery, it also adds nice flavor to the sweet daliya.

There are many ways sweet daliya can be flavored. I like to flavor my sweet daliya with green cardamom powder and some freshly grated nutmeg. I think the combination of green cardamom and nutmeg is purely divine ? Some other flavors such as saffron, cinnamon are also a great alternatives.
When it comes to flavors, this one flavor is a absolute must for me - cumin seeds. Yes, I absolutely love these tiny seeds in the daliya. I think cumin seeds adds a great flavor to this dish. I add a final tempering of homemade ghee (clarified butter) and cumin seeds to the sweet daliya.

HOW TO MAKE MEETHA DALIYA

Meetha Daliya is quick and healthy breakfast, enjoyed during cold winter months. This is so good, I can eat this all year round. I prefer to cook daliya in a Instant Pot or a pressure cooker. Enjoy this hearty daliya for breakfast or as a dessert.

INSTANT POT MEETHA DALIYA

Turn ON SAUTE (more). When it displays "HOT", add oil, daliya (cracked wheat), roast daliya for 5-10 minutes. Saute every couple of minutes for even roasting of daliya.

Note: Roasted daliya turns aromatic and changes color (will become dark in color).

Add salt, water. Mix well. Turn OFF SAUTE. Close lid, vent sealed.

Turn ON Manual/Pressure cook (high), 15 minutes.

Note: For fine daliya, pressure cook for 5 minutes.

Let pressure release naturally, around 10 minutes. Open the lid.

Turn ON SAUTE (more). Add milk, jaggery, crushed black pepper, green cardamom powder, freshly grated nutmeg, and almond flour. Mix well.

Note: Using a cheese grater, fine grate nutmeg couple of time.

Bring it to a gentle boil. Stir frequently, to avoid burnt bottom. Turn OFF SAUTE.

Meetha Daliya is ready to be served. Enjoy!!

STOVE TOP MEETHA DALIYA

Follow the recipe as discussed earlier, after the first whistle, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Rest of the recipe is same as Instant Pot.

HOW TO MAKE DALIYA REFINED SUGAR-FREE

Feel free to use sweeter of your choice, natural or artificial sweetener instead of sugar or jaggery. Natural sweeteners such as honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, dates can be used. Adjust the sweetness as per taste.

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS MEETHA DALIYA

Why use oil instead of ghee for roasting dalia? Yes, you can use ghee for roasting the daliya. I like to keep it light and therefore to balance the flavors from the ghee I do the tempering with ghee at the end.

Roasting dalia is very important for a great tasting daliya. Roasting daliya enhances the flavor of this dish tremendously. Roast daliya until it turns aromatic and changes color (brown).

Why use jaggery? Jaggery is my personal preference over sugar, since it adds a nice caramelized flavor to this meetha daliya. Also, jaggery provides warmth and energy to the body specially during cold winter months.

You may also use brown sugar, honey, agave, or any sugar substitute of your choice. Adjust the sweetness as per taste.

Why add tempering? Tempering is optional, but I think it enhances the flavors of daliya. And I personally, love these tiny cumin seeds when they pop into your mouth, give a nice balance of flavors to this sweet dish, which I think is totally mesmerizing!!!

Daliya tends to soak up all the liquid gradually, if required add more milk to adjust the consistency as per liking. The consistency may be somewhere from thick like a porridge to slightly soupy.

What other flavors can be used? Green cardamom and nutmeg are two of my favorite flavoring. Some of the other flavors that taste great are saffron and cinnamon.

Why use almond flour? I have a picky eater at home, my little one, my princess. She absolutely dislikes any kind of nuts in her food. And I think adding almond flour is the best way to sneak in some of the essential nutrients into her diet, without even her knowing? Adding almond flour is optional, you could also add some handful of crushed almonds, will work just fine. Nuts of choice such as raisins, cashews, walnuts, pecans may also be added. You can also make it nut-free, will totally do.

FAQ ABOUT MEETHA DALIYA

HOW TO MAKE DALIYA DAIRY-FREE

Some of the dairy-free options that I like to use in this recipe include oats milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. However, feel free to use any dairy-free option of your choice.

1. Oats milk is mild and is naturally sweet in flavor. Oats milk contains beta-glucan, a form of soluble dietary fiber, that can help lower cholesterol and sugar levels, thus improving over-all health.
2. Almond milk is light, nutty flavor and is mildly sweet. Nutritious, low in calories and high in vitamin D.
3. Coconut milk is creamy and sweet and has thick milky consistency. It also adds a nice coconut flavor.

HOW TO STORE MEETHA DALIYA