What is Dalia?

Generally, Dalia is used for broken wheat. The term “Dalia” is often used to imply a grain. People tend to confuse it for a wonder grain that checks all the boxes on a “good carbs” list. And to be honest, it is a wonder grain to some extent.

The term Dalia refers to a texture in milling terms. It is a texture that refers to any grain that has been broken. Dalia can be made from any grain, wheat, rice, millet, etc. In India, we refer to “Rava” not just to mean the semolina-like ingredient derived from wheat but also rice and other grains, like Sooji Rava, Wheat Rava etc.

The milling process

Grains are washed and dried, sometimes, lightly roasted to make the tough outer skin easier to break down and the grain is then passed through a machine, which breaks it down into various degrees of fineness.

In some cases such as the sprouted wheat dalia, the wheat grains are first sprouted to maximize their protein content and then milled.

Since the grain is either washed or parched or sprouted, dishes made using Dalia cook faster and are also easier on digestion and because no part of the grain is wasted (endosperm and bran are kept intact), the whole grain is consumed thereby making it an excellent source of fibre as well as complex carbohydrates.

This makes it more accessible to diabetics and Weight Watchers, who need to stay away from simple carbohydrates.

Dalia also makes it easy for one to incorporate millets in our diet; not all of us eat Bajra or Jowar Rotis every day; so, using them in the form of broken grain to make porridges, pulaos, kheers, etc. is an easier and faster solution.

Tips to cook Dalia perfectly

• Dry roast Dalia on low to medium-low heat in a thick-bottomed pan.
• Always use 1 and a half times water, if you want the end product to be dry. Use 2 times water if you want to make a wetter recipe.