Instant Pot Meetha Dalia - Cracked Wheat Porridge

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Mar 4

Written By Anadi Misra

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**Meetha Dalia** is Indian cracked wheat porridge. You will learn how to make a basic cracked wheat porridge in this recipe, but the flavour options are endless! Meetha Dalia is packed full of fibre to give you a nutritious start to the day! Learn how to make it in the Instant Pot or over the stove.

Want to have a new unique healthy start to the morning? Then this Meetha Dalia recipe is for you!

This cracked wheat porridge recipe is packed full of fibre and is quite easy to make! You can flavour it however you want as you would oatmeal. In this post, I will show you how to make a breakfast version of cracked wheat porridge and a sweet pudding version, which is referred to as “kheer” in Hindi. Once you try dalia out, you’ll be hooked! If you’re new to Indian cooking and want to try a fabulous Indian recipe for breakfast, then be sure to try dalia out as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started today by singing up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!

To follow along this easy Indian cracked wheat porridge recipe, be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!

What is Cracked Wheat?

Cracked wheat, also known as broken wheat, is made by grinding up wheat berries to result in a whole grain product. Cracked wheat is often confused with bulgur, which is also made from whole grains, however, bulgur has been cleaned up, parboiled, dried and steamed prior to packaging. Cracked wheat is packaged as is. Cracked wheat is popular amongst Middle Eastern and South Asian recipes.

You can buy cracked wheat from any Indian grocery store or online. You get a big bag of them, and I had originally purchased cracked wheat to make Pakistani Haleem, where cracked wheat is a key ingredient. However, I was stuck with all this cracked wheat, and I had to find a way to use it! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if you’re stumped on new ideas for what to make in the kitchen, use ingredients that are sitting in your pantry as a source of inspiration! My grandmother would love to have meetha dalia for breakfast, but growing up I couldn’t appreciate it, and I just wanted to have Weetabix cereal instead. However, now that I’m older, I see why dalia was such a hit in my household, and I’m really excited to share this recipe with you today!

Why You’ll Love Dalia Porridge!

Easy to make: While you need to be a bit patient to allow the cracked wheat to roast, the process of making the cracked wheat porridge itself is really easy and straightforward, making this an accessible breakfast to everyone! When you follow this Indian Instant Pot recipe, then it’s even easier!
Healthy: Cracked wheat is all whole grains, containing fibre that will keep you full for a long time! Pair with healthy fats from whole milk and other nutritious toppings of your choice, you’ve got a satiating balanced breakfast that will prevent you from having mid-morning cravings!
Delicious: Need I say more? Even the base recipe for dalia porridge is very delicious, making you want to have it over and over again!
Customizable: There are so many ways you can mix and match different flavours and toppings! I’ve given a couple of ideas to help get you started at the bottom of this post!
Hot and cozy: While you can make dalia any time of the year, it’s particularly comforting in the cold winter months because it is thick and hot, and it will instantly warm you up! I certainly recommend you try a bowl on a cold snowy morning! Although it’s March, in Canada you can still get days where the temperature is below zero degrees, and a hot breakfast or dessert is much needed!

HOW DO I ADJUST THE TEXTURE OF Dalia?

There are two main things you can modify: The texture of the dalia or cracked wheat itself or the thickness of the porridge.

To keep the dalia on the chewier side, 5 minutes pressure cooked at the Instant Pot should be more than enough, same goes for 15-20 minutes on the stovetop. This is my preferred way of enjoying dalia, I find it adds a nice contrast to the sweet milk. In case you want to keep the texture on the softer side, then you would need to pressure cook for 2-3 more minutes and also increase the cooking time if you’re making dalia on the stovetop. This may involve adding extra milk to adjust the texture at the end.

This brings us to the thickness of the porridge, which boils down to, well, the milk. The more you simmer, the thicker it will get. So if the final texture of the dalia is too thick, thin it out by adding more.

Tips for a creamy dalia

Toasting the cracked wheat is a super important step which needs your patience. Toast low and slow, look for the colour change and the aroma - it will pay off at end.
Keep stirring from time to time while the milk is gently simmering to prevent anything from sticking at the bottom of the sauce pan. If preparing in the Instant Pot, make sure to give the pot a good stir after the pressure is released. This will prevent the dalia from sticking or burning as you are gently simmering and adding in the flavourings.
The cracked wheat does not need to be completely soft to be enjoyed. In fact I prefer a slightly chewy texture. Cook time can be adjusted and for softer dalia, cook for 2-3 minutes longer in the Instant Pot or 10-15 minutes longer on the stove top. Consider adding at least 1/2 to 1 Cup extra milk to account for the extra cook time.
Use your favourite sweetener while finishing the dalia and prepare a large batch to have a healthy breakfast or dessert ready for the days to come. Switch things up by picking a unique topping for each serving.

Tools Needed to make indian cracked wheat porridge

Ingredients FOr Meetha Dalia

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to see the ingredient list with quantities and to save the recipe for later. The recipe card also to scale the recipe based on how many portions of Meetha Dalia you want to make - no mental math needed!

For the Base Dalia

Ghee: To roast the cracked wheta.
Cracked wheat: There is no substitute for this. As mentioned earlier, bulgur tends to be confused with cracked wheat, but they are not the same at all.
Milk: Full fat cow’s milk is my preference, but feel free to use whatever milk you want. Plant-based options that would yield creamy dalia include oat milk or almond milk - you could even make your own almond milk! However, in my opinion you will get best results with full fat dairy milk.
Sweetener: You can use any sweetener of your choice here. Because I’m in Canada, I really became accustomed to using lots of maple syrup! However, simple table sugar is perfectly fine to use in dalia. For other natural liquid sweeteners, try honey or agave syrup. Powdered sugar options include brown sugar, coconut sugar, or cane sugar. If you want sugar-free options, try out Stevia or Splenda.
Vanilla extract: A splash goes a long way to enhance the sweetness and flavours here!
Blueberries: For garnish. If using frozen berries, be sure to thaw them first!

For A Kheer (dessert) Variation

Follow everything above and add the following ingredients:

Ground green cardamom: Adds a wonderful aroma that I use in all of my kheer and Indian dessert recipes!
Saffron: A few strands of it add a nice richness to your kheer.
Pistachios: Mashed up pistachios to add a nice crunch and for garnish.

How to Make Cracked Wheat Porridge

Stovetop Variation

Heat a saucepan on medium heat and then add ghee.

Once ghee is molten, add the cracked wheat and roast until aromatic and until the wheat turns golden brown.

Carefully pour in the milk while stirring. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cracked wheat softens.

Add maple syrup or sweetener of choice and vanilla extract.

Serve fresh topped with fruits or berries.

Instant Pot Variation

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and then add ghee. Once ghee is molten, add the cracked wheat and roast until aromatic and until the wheat turns golden brown.

Select Cancel on the Instant Pot and carefully pour in the milk while stirring. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode, close the lid and set the valve to Sealing mode. Cook for 5 minutes.

Let the pressure release for 3-4 minutes and then do a manual pressure release.

Add maple syrup or sweetener of choice and vanilla extract, along with the ground green cardamom and saffron strands.

Serve fresh topped with dried fruits.

Enjoy!

Do I SErve Dalia Hot Or Cold?

You can serve dalia hot or cold, whatever your preference is! I’ve only ever had it hot, but I can imagine this would be delicious cold because it would have had the time to thicken up setting in the fridge. Try it both ways and see which way you prefer!

Flavour Variations for Dalia

Chocolate: Add a dash of cocoa powder and perhaps even some chocolate chips or a few squares of your favourite chocolate bar for a chocolatey delight!
Turmeric: You can add a touch of ground turmeric and mashed whole turmeric root to get a beautiful golden colour and all of the antioxidant properties turmeric has to offer!
Vanilla: I’m already adding vanilla extract to the base recipe, but if you want a richer vanilla flavour, you could add Madagascar vanilla bean paste or a whole vanilla bean pod.
Cinnamon: Add in a whole cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon for that comforting warm spice. You could also combine with a pinch of nutmeg.

Topping Ideas

Think of dalia like oatmeal in that you can garnish however you want! Here’s just a handful of ideas to keep things interesting with your cracked wheat porridge!

Dried fruits: You can garnish with sliced nuts as opposed to roughly chopped. I used pistachios here, but feel free to try out cashews, almonds, or peanuts. You can even garnish with raisins.
Nut butter: Feel free to drizzle or add a dollop of your favourite nut butter, such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.
Nutella: Who doesn’t love Nutella? Of course you can use the brand name Nutella, which I really love, or you could make your own vegan Coconut Nutella to try something new!
Berries: Any of your favourite berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries.
Fruits: Apples or bananas on top would be excellent. You could even top with Caramelized Bananas!

Storing Leftover Dalia

You can most certainly make a large batch of dalia and enjoy it for later - both for breakfast or the kheer-style dalia! Transfer for your leftovers into an airtight container and store in the fridge. All you need to do to enjoy cold dalia is to take it out of the fridge, or perhaps leave it at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying.

Otherwise, for hot dalia, reheating in the microwave is easiest! Heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it is evenly warmed through.

Other Indian Breakfast Ideas

OTHER INDIAN INSTANT POT RECIPES

Watch How to Make Meetha Dalia Here:

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Indian, desserts, breakfast

Indian

Yield: 2

Author: Anadi

Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge - For Breakfast or Desserthttps://youtu.be/l9pBL6RNDuYDalia is Indian cracked wheat, extracted from whole wheat berries. Meetha dalia, known as sweet cracked wheat, is an excellent breakfast full of fibre! This meetha dalia recipe will show you how to make cracked wheat in the Instant Pot and over the stove. You will also learn how to make dalia for breakfast or a richer kheer variation to have cracked wheat for dessert.2024-03-04

Meetha Dalia - Indian Cracked Wheat Porridge

Meetha Dalia is Indian cracked wheat porridge. You will learn how to make a basic cracked wheat porridge in this recipe, but the flavour options are endless! Meetha Dalia is packed full of fibre to give you a nutritious start to the day! Learn how to make it in the Instant Pot or over the stove.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Stovetop Variation (Breakfast Recipe)

2-3 tsp ghee
1 Cup cracked wheat
2 1/2 Cups milk
maple syrup, to taste (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
handful of blueberries, for topping

Instant Pot Variation (Dessert Recipe)

2-3 tsp ghee
1 Cup cracked wheat
2 1/2 Cups milk
maple syrup, to taste
1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
8-12 strands of saffron
1-2 Tbsp chopped pistachios

Instructions

Stovetop Variation (Breakfast Recipe)

Heat a saucepan on medium heat and then add ghee. Once ghee is molten, add the cracked wheat and roast until aromatic and until the wheat turns golden brown.
Carefully pour in the milk while stirring. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cracked wheat softens.
Add maple syrup or sweetener of choice and vanilla extract.
Serve fresh topped with fruits or berries.

Instant Pot Variation (Dessert/Kheer Recipe)

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and then add ghee. Once ghee is molten, add the cracked wheat and roast until aromatic and until the wheat turns golden brown.
Select Cancel on the Instant Pot and carefully pour in the milk while stirring. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode, close the lid and set the valve to Sealing mode. Cook for 5 minutes.
Let the pressure release for 3-4 minutes and then do a manual pressure release. Add maple syrup or sweetener of choice and vanilla extract, along with the ground green cardamom and saffron strands.
Serve fresh topped with dried fruits.