A simple, healthy, and comforting one-pot meal that is made with dalia (broken wheat), fresh vegetables, and some aromatic whole spices. This is another recipe from our kitchen that is absolutely perfect for the days when you don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen but still want some heart-warming and nourishing meal. It gets ready very fast which is nice to cook after a hectic day at work. Do try it because I am sure that it will become a part of your kitchen too.
If you liked this recipe, you must try our other one-pot meals too – Vegan Pad Thai Noodles, Chickpea Pulao, Spinach Khichdi.
Story Time
When I was working in an IT company, that was the first time when I was living away from my family in a rented home. That was the time when I started my cooking journey on a regular basis. I used to love that. Even though I was all alone, still I used to make three meals for myself every single day. I enjoy cooking a lot. It is also a therapy for me that kept me sane after office hours 🙂
Anyway. That time I made dalia a lot. It is not just healthy and nourishing but also quite light for dinner time. Sometimes, I made dalia khichdi or sometimes just dalia and dal with some cooked sabzi (vegetable). And this dalia pulao was also my dinner staple. I just need to dump everything in one pot and it is done. Jatin used to make fun of me and wondered how I ate dalia every day but just like some people eat chapati every day, I had dalia. It is much simpler to make and much better in taste 🙂 And now since we are married, Jatin also doesn’t mind eating it at all. In fact he likes it.
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What is Dalia?
Dalia is cracked or broken wheat. It is made by coarsely milling whole grains of wheat. It is rich in fibers and has many health benefits. You can find it in different forms – some are quite bigger in size which can be a good substitute for rice while some are quite small or fine which is good to make porridge or kheer.
It is good for the patients since it is light and easily digestible. You can even cook it when you have an upset stomach.
How to serve Dalia Pulao?
Dalia Pulao tastes best when served hot. You can serve it with the following side dishes:
- Kachumber salad
- Boondi raita or salted curd
- Pickle
- Top it up with some ghee or vegan butter
Easy Swaps
- Veggies: Use any veggie of your choice – cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, beans, celery, spinach etc.
- Dalia: You can replace dalia with rice, quinoa, or foxtail millets.
- Cooking Oil: Use ghee or butter instead.
Is this recipe spicy?
This recipe contains some whole spices like cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, etc but it is very mildly spicy. The quantity of water and the texture of the recipe makes it more flavorful than spicy.
Is this recipe Vegan?
Yes. This Dalia Pulao recipe is totally plant-based and vegan.
More Dinner Recipe Ideas
Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this Indian vegetarian/vegan meal at home. It is perfect for lunch or dinner. If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo on Instagram and tag us @marriedfriends. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.
Happy Cooking 🙂
Love from us
Richa & Jatin
Quick, Easy & Healthy Meal – Dalia Pulao
Wholesome. Hearty. Comforting.
Servings
Prep Time
Cook Time
Rest Time
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dalia soaked and washed
- 1 Onion (medium) roughly cut
- 1 Potato (large) cubed
- 1/2 cup French Green Beans chopped
- 1/2 cup Carrot chopped
- 1/2 cup Green Peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Cauliflower roughly cut
- 2.5 cup Water
- 2 Green Chilli chopped
- 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves chopped, to garnish
- 1 to 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
Spices
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Cloves
- 8 to 10 Black Pepper
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 1-Inch Piece Cinnamon Stick
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
Steps
- Heat some cooking oil in a deep pan or kadhai.
- Add whole spices - bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, star anise, and black cardamom. Stir for a few seconds until aromatic.
- Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add chopped onions and saute till onions are cooked and translucent. Do not brown them.
- Once the onions are done, add all the other veggies (except coriander), salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Mix and combine everything well.
- Add dalia and water. Mix and let it come to a boil on a high flame. Once it starts to boil, lower the flame and cover. Cook until all the water is absorbed. It takes around 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, check if the water is absorbed and dalia is well cooked.
- Once done, finish it off with some chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot. Your homemade happy meal is ready.
FAQs
Yes. Dalia and lapsi are the same things – cracked or broken wheat. Some are coarse and some are quite fine. Coarse ones are mostly used to make pulao or used as a substitute for rice. And the fine ones are used to make kheer, porridge or upma.
Dalia is available with many names in the market – broken wheat, lapsi, bulgar
Dalia is coarsely cracked wheat that is rich in fibers. It is light and good for digestion. It is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins and helps boost metabolism. It is said to keep the glucose level in check. Since it is easily digestible and light on the stomach, it is often given to patients. It is even good for the people who are sick and have an upset stomach.