Dalia Khichdi is a savory Indian dish prepared with broken wheat (dalia), mixed vegetables, herbs and a few spices. The ingredients are cooked together in a stovetop pressure cooker until soft and tender. This light and nutritious meal is easy to digest and suitable for everyday cooking. Serve it hot as a wholesome lunch or dinner.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Breakfast, Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dalia ((broken wheat or cracked wheat))
  • ⅓ cup onions (- finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (- finely chopped)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon green chilies (- finely chopped)
  • ½ cup tomatoes (- finely chopped)
  • ½ cup carrots (- chopped)
  • ½ cup potatoes (- chopped)
  • ½ cup green peas (- fresh or frozen)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon oil (or ghee (clarified butter))
  • salt (as required)

Method

Prep Dalia & Veggies

  1. In a fine strainer, take the dalia or broken wheat. Gently rinse under running water a few times and set aside.
  2. Rinse and chop the vegetables in small cubes. Set aside.
  3. Finely chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and green chillies.

Make Daliya Khichdi

  1. Heat oil or ghee in a 3-litre stovetop pressure cooker.
  2. Keep the heat to medium-low. Splutter the cumin seeds first in the hot oil.
  3. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they soften and become translucent on medium-low to medium heat.
  4. Now add finely chopped ginger and green chillies. On a low heat sauté for some seconds or until the aroma of ginger disappears.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a minute.
  6. Next add the chopped potatoes, chopped carrots and green peas (fresh or frozen).
  7. Mix and sauté for 2 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
  8. Rinse the dalia and add to the veggies in the pressure cooker. Stir and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on a low heat.
  9. Add 4 cups water and salt according to taste. Mix again.
  10. Pressure cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 whistles (or 11 to 13 minutes) or until the dalia has softened and cooked thoroughly. Time taken to cook will vary depending upon the quality of dalia.
  11. When the pressure drops naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid of the cooker. Check whether the daliya has softened and cooked really well.
  12. If the daliya is undercooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few whistles more or cook without the lid till they are softened and you get a porridge-like consistency.

Serving Suggestions

  1. Pour the Daliya Khichdi in bowls. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot or warm.
  2. Drizzle some ghee or lemon juice on the dalia if you prefer.
  3. Serve with a side of curd (yogurt), a simple raita, roasted papad or an Indian pickle.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.