Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Mittha Daliya (Sweet Cracked Wheat Porridge) Slow Cooker Recipe

It’s a fact that Punjabis prefer roti over rice anytime; and mostly roti made from wheat flour. Since the Punjab is the heart of the wheat belt of India, and supplies the country with this healthy grain, this preference for wheat is but natural, though this has been an ancient tradition for Punjabis. Wheat is generally high in carbohydrates, potassium and protein as well as iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium.

Apart from making rotis of various types, this fondness for wheat has led to another popular breakfast dish, daliya, which can be eaten sweet or salted with other ingredients, much like khichdi (which is made with rice). Daliya is a made from cracked, roasted wheat kernels into a porridge like consistency if eaten sweet and is great for older people or those recuperating from an illness, to give them a soft form of protein and energy. But its taste is much different from oatmeal.

Unlike khichdi, daliya is usually made thick but most people are too busy in the mornings to take the time to cook it. This recipe uses a slow cooker that allows the daliya to simmer over a long time which takes the guessing out of the preparation and you can relax and carry on your other activities.

The slow cooker is a most convenient appliance for people on the go who have little time to cook time-consuming meals. Usually, the ones with two heat settings are best, but the method is the same: pour all the ingredients in, turn the cooker on and let it run for several hours or overnight and then taste the results.

Ingredients :     

1 cup daliya (cracked wheat)
3 cups pani (water)
1 tbspn olive oil
Chinni (sugar) or gur (jaggery) to taste
Khishmish (raisins) and badam (almonds) – to taste

Directions:

1.  Pour 1 cup of daliya into 3 cups of water in the slow cooker and turn it on the high setting for an hour.

2. Check to see if the daliya has become a little tender then turn the setting to low for 30 minutes.

3. Open the slow cooker and add a tablespoon of olive oil and add the sugar to taste. Some people may prefer gur which gives the daliya a slightly brown color.

4. Soak the raisins and almonds in hot water for 30 minutes; then peel and split the almonds. If you prefer, use slivered almonds; but soaking them will make them softer.

5. Mix in the raisins and almonds into the daliya and serve while still hot.

6. For those who avoid sweets, replace the sugar with salt and omit the raisins and almonds.tainer with a tight lid. They will keep for many weeks.

MAMA’S TIP OF THE WEEK

MAKE TURNED MILK INTO PANEER

We have all dealt with the instance when the milk in the refrigerator has gone past the expiration date, turned sour and has curdled, yet we feel a sense of disappointment at having to throw such a large amount of it away in the sink. This happens despite our best intentions to finish the milk before it expires.

Most  people – especially the young ones will throw the milk away, but for those of us who have grown up during times when there was no refrigeration and come from the Old Country, throwing out food was not even considered! We knew that it could be reheated once to prolong its life.

In the case of turned milk, simply bring it to a boil with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. The whey will separate from the water; then run it through a thin muslin or cotton cloth to catch it; bundle it up to drip for two hours. This is the Indian paneer (cheese) which is used in many dishes.

Shakuntla Malhotra is a skilled cook of Punjabi dishes made in the old-fashioned style that she learnt as a young woman in her ancestral home in Lyallpur, India before it became part of Pakistan after the Partition in 1947. People have often admired her cooking for its simplicity and taste that comes with each mouthful. Even in her mid-eighties, she continues to cook daily and agreed to share some of her delectable Punjabi recipes.