Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya

Among all the warm and cozy meals like pancakes, savory cracked wheat pilaf, or a slice of quiche, porridge made with milk is everyone’s favorite.

Now, who would say no to a bowl of creamy, luscious daliya on a cold winter morning – it’s absolute comfort in a bowl! 

What is Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya?

Meetha Daliya or cracked wheat porridge is a sweet, creamy, healthy, and delicious Indian dessert made with broken, cracked wheat, milk, and sugar/jaggery.

Later, it is flavored with cardamom seeds, slivered almonds, pistachios, and saffron strands. It is very popular as breakfast in the Northern part of India. 

Daliya is made by milling whole wheat grain into smaller pieces. Its shape is similar to stone-cut-oatmeal and has all the advantages of wheat flour, and since it contains the outside bran and germ of the wheat, it offers some health benefits such as:

• It is an excellent fiber source that aids proper digestion and prevents constipation.
• Provides more B vitamins, iron, and antioxidants than refined grains.
• It’s also considered a low-fat diet and has no saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol.

The health benefits of cracked wheat alone are the reason why this porridge makes it to my list of nutrition-rich breakfasts.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya

» Cracked Wheat – I prefer to cook with smaller grain cracked wheat. You can find cracked wheat at your local Indian stores. They all carry cracked wheat under the name Daliya/Dalia. Please use small grain ones because the big grains will take longer to cook. 

» Almond Milk – My go-to choice for this is Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya is almond milk as it mildly sweet, nutritious, and high in vitamin D. Plus, it adds a nutty flavor to the recipe. 

» Sugar – I have used granulated sugar; however, you can use jaggery or the sweetener of your choice to sweeten meetha daliya. 

» Cardamom + saffron strands – These are our flavoring agents. Crushed cardamom and a pinch of saffron lend a warm flavor and make the porridge highly fragrant. For that authentic taste, do not skip these ingredients. 

» Mixed nuts – Slivered almonds and pistachios add a nice crunch and delivers a lot of nutrition and flavor to this dish. You can also add toasted yellow raisins, cashews, pecans, or walnuts. 

» Coconut Oil  –  I have used Organic Triple Filtered Coconut Oil- it’s odorless and yellow in color. Non-vegans can swap coconut oil for ghee.

How to make Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya?

Today’s recipe daliya kheer/ meetha daliya is made possible in my favorite kitchen appliance – Instant Pot! Making sweet daliya in the Instant Pot is a breeze, and it cooks the cracked wheat beautifully in less time. It’s a dump-n-go kind of recipe.

Sauté daliya – Start the Instant Pot in sauté mode and add coconut oil to it. Once the coconut oil is melted, add cracked wheat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it slightly changes its color. Pour in almond milk, crushed green cardamom, dry nuts, sugar, and give it a good stir. Almond milk provides a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.

PROTIP – Roast the daliya in coconut oil until it becomes slightly brown in color and turns aromatic.

Cook Meetha daliya – Close the Instant Pot lid and seal the pot. Cancel the sauté mode and press the Manual or pressure cook button, and cook the meetha daliya pot for 10 minutes on HIGH. 

NOTE – It will take somewhere about 10 minutes for the pressure to build then the actual cooking time will start.

Adjust consistency – Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid. Daliya will look soft and dry; no worries, add extra milk and adjust to your liking consistency. Give it a good stir, and a soft and creamy meetha daliya is ready.

Top it with your favorite nuts and enjoy a delicious treat!

Recipe tips to make the best Instant Pot Cracked Meetha Daliya

» Roast daliya – Before you advance with the recipe, always roast daliya in coconut oil or ghee. A well-roasted daliya enhances the essence of this dish and results in a great-tasting and flavorful daliya. 

» Sweetener – Traditionally, meetha daliya is sweetened with sugar, but you can add jaggery for a healthier option. Jaggery will add a subtle caramelized flavor and amp up the health quotient of this recipe. Or you can swap sugar with brown sugar; it will also lend a nice flavor and color to the meetha daliya.

» Flavors – Besides the cardamom powder, you can add freshly grated nutmeg to the daliya kheer. Nutmeg will lend a sweet, warm spiciness to our dish.

» Cooked daliya – Dalya tends to absorb all the liquid in the dish and swell up. To correct that, feel free to add more milk to the recipe and adjust the consistency as per your liking. The consistency of meetha daliya is always on a thick- soupy side. If you added extra milk to the daliya, then you will have to adjust sugar as well.

» Milk – Milk provides this daliya a delicate, thick porridge-like consistency. Feel free to swap milk for half-n-half for a richer and creamier consistency. Non-vegans can use regular milk to make meetha daliya. 

» Dairy-free option – You can use any plant-based milk to make daliya. Some of the dairy-free options that I prefer are oats milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. However, if you like coconut flavor, then coconut milk is a great option too. It will add a nice coconut flavor, creamy texture, and thick milk-like consistency to our daliya.

» Ghee – Coconut oil in the recipe can be replaced with ghee. Ghee will lend a deliciously nutty aroma to our daliya kheer.

Can I cook Meetha daliya on the stovetop?

You most certainly can! To make daliya on the stovetop:

• Follow the first 4 steps in a pressure cooker.
• Add 2 cups of milk and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
• Let the steam release naturally.
• Adjust some extra milk, sugar, and enjoy!

How to store Meetha daliya?

Cooked and cooled cracked wheat porridge can be stored well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

When ready to serve, spoon the porridge into a serving bowl. It will be pretty thick, don’t worry. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cold milk and heat the bowl in the microwave on high for about a minute. 

Mix it well to combine, then add milk to attain the desired consistency. Give it a good stir, and it will become creamy again. Top with your favorite nuts, and enjoy!

Can I freeze Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge?

Absolutely! Meetha daliya freezes beautifully for up to a month in your freezer in an airtight container. Transfer the meetha daliya to a freezer-safe container and store it.

When ready to serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, boil milk in a saucepan, add daliya to, and stir to combine. Top with your favorite nuts, and serve warm. 

Let Me Know What You Think!

Should you make this Instant Pot Cracked Wheat Porridge – Meetha Daliya, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.