Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Dalia Recipe | Dalia Khichdi | Sweet Daliya
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/dalia-recipe/
- Dalia Khichdi – Savory version made with mix vegetables.
- Sweet Dalia – Good for kids or those who like the sweet taste.
Both the recipes are easy, tasty and shared with step by step photos. You can make either of them as per your preference.
About Dalia Khichdi
Here is a healthy and delicious one-pot meal of savory daliya khichdi made with mixed vegetables and broken wheat.
Basically Dalia is the Hindi term for broken cereals. However, broken wheat is generally called as dalia in North India.
Dalia is considered to be one of the simplest and healthy food, low in fat & cholesterol, high in iron & fiber, good in carbs. Often recommended to growing up kids or people recovering from illness.
Dalia is very easy to digest. In case your stomach is upset then dalia and moong dal khichdi are two recipes that are often recommended. Many of us must have memories of having dalia and khichdi when recovering from illness.
This dish has a porridge-like consistency. But some people make it slightly thick too. At home, we generally have dalia accompanied with yogurt but it can be had plain too. You can have this dish as a breakfast too.
The vegetables I usually add in dalia Khichdi are carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, cauliflowers, french beans and tomatoes. For a punch, you can also little capsicum also. Peas and potatoes are often used in most vegetable dalia recipes.
You can also add some mung lentils in this dalia khichdi. Add the mung lentils when you add the dalia. I make one pot meals like dalia, khichdi, veg pulao when I have less time to cook.
Some folks don’t like the bland taste of dalia as this is usually prepared for people recovering from sickness. Otherwise, if you plan to serve dalia to a healthy person then you can make the daliya recipe little spicy as well as flavorful.
How to make dalia recipe
1. Chop all the veggies. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making daliya.
2. In a 3-litre pressure cooker, heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. Keep flame to medium-low and add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in the hot oil and let them crackle.
3. Then add 1 medium-sized onion which has been chopped finely.
4. Saute till the onions become translucent.
5. Then add 1 inch finely chopped ginger and 1 to 2 finely chopped green chilies.
6. Saute for some seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger goes away on a low flame.
7. Add 1 medium-sized finely chopped tomato.
8. Saute for 1 minute.
9. Now add ½ cup of chopped potatoes, ½ cup of chopped carrots and ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen).
10. Saute for 2 minutes on low to medium-low flame. Keep stirring at intervals.
11. Meanwhile rinse 1 cup dalia in water using a fine strainer.
12. Drain the water and keep the dalia aside. You can rinse the dalia before preparing but it hardly takes time to rinse and strain the water.
13. Add the rinsed dalia to the veggies. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame.
14. Add 4 cups of water and salt as required.
15. Stir well.
Cooking dalia khichdi
16. On medium flame, pressure cook for 10 to 12 whistles or till the dalia is cooked well. Timing depends upon the quality of the dalia. So it will vary.
17. If the dalia has not cooked completely, 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.
18. Once done, garnish vegetable dalia with coriander leaves and Serve dalia hot or warm.
More Indian breakfast recipes
This recipe post is from the archives (July 2013) and has been republished and updated on 7th June 2020.
Dalia Recipe (Daliya Khichdi)
Dalia or Daliya is a healthy Indian porridge made with broken wheat or cracked wheat.
(1 CUP = 250 ML)
- Heat oil or ghee in a 3-litre pressure cooker.
- Keep the flame to medium-low. Splutter 1 teaspoon cumin first in the hot oil.
- Add 1 chopped onion and saute till they become translucent on medium-low to medium flame.
- Now add 1 inch finely chopped ginger and 1 to 2 finely chopped green chillies. On a low flame saute for some seconds or till the aroma of ginger goes away.
- Add 1 finely chopped tomato and saute for 1 minute.
- Now add ½ cup chopped potatoes, ½ cup chopped carrots and ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen). Saute for 2 minutes on low to medium-low flame. Keep stirring at intervals.
- Rinse the dalia and add to the veggies. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame.
- Add 4 cups water and salt as required. Stir and pressure cook on medium flame for 10-12 whistles or till the dalia is cooked well. Timing will vary depending upon quality of dalia.
- If the daliya has not cooked completely, 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.
- Garnish vegetable daliya with coriander leaves and serve hot or warm.
About Sweet Daliya Recipe
This sweet dalia is made with cracked wheat (broken wheat), milk, sugar and dry fruits. You can call also it a sweet porridge.
This sweet dalia or meetha dalia is liked by kids too. It is also like by those people who are more fond of the sweet version rather than the savory dalia.
I do add some dry fruits in sweet dalia, but it is entirely optional. You can also add the choice of your dry fruits.
The entire recipe has been made in a pressure cooker. Though you can also cook it in a pan.
Serve sweet dalia warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be refrigerated and then served later.
How to make sweet daliya recipe
Pressure cooking dalia
1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
2. Keep flame to medium-low and add ½ cup dalia (cracked wheat, broken wheat).
3. Mix it with the ghee and on a low to medium-low flame. Then begin to roast it in ghee.
4. Stir continuously while roasting.
5. Roast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium-low flame. The dalia will become aromatic and the color will change.
6. Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. If using a large cooker, then add more water.
7. Stir and mix very well.
8. On a medium flame pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
9. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the dalia is cooked well. If not then add more water and pressure cook again.
Making sweet daliya
10. Add 1.5 cups milk to the cooked dalia.
11. Add ⅓ cup sugar or add as required.
12. Mix well and keep the cooker on a medium-low flame.
13. Let the mixture come to a simmer and gentle boil. Stir at times.
14. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. Do stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Check the taste and add more sugar if required. For a slightly thin sweet dalia, you can also add more milk. The consistency of this sweet dalia is like rice kheer. Do note that on cooling the dalia thickens. so add milk according to the consistency you want.
15. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
16. Add 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews.
17. Mix well and simmer daliya for a minute or two.
18. Serve daliya hot or warm.
Sweet Daliya Recipe
This sweet dalia is made with cracked wheat (broken wheat), milk, sugar and dry fruits.
(1 CUP = 250 ML)
pressure cooking daliya
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
- Keep flame to medium-low and add ½ cup dalia (cracked wheat or broken wheat).
- Mix it with the ghee and on a low to medium-low flame, roast the dalia in ghee.
- Stir continuously while roasting.
- Roast for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium-low flame. The dalia will become aromatic and the color will change.
- Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. If using a large cooker, then add more water. Stir and mix very well.
- On a medium flame pressure cook for about 5 to 6 whistles or 5 to 6 minutes.
- When pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the dalia is cooked well. If not then add more water and pressure cook again.
making sweet daliya
- Add 1.5 cups milk to the cooked dalia.
- Add ⅓ cup sugar or add as required.
- Mix well and keep the cooker on a medium-low flame.
- Let the mixture come to a simmer and gentle boil. Stir at times.
- Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. Do stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Check the taste and add more sugar if required. For a slightly thin sweet dalia, you can also add more milk. The consistency of this sweet dalia is like rice kheer.
- Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews.
- Mix well and simmer Daliya for a minute or two.
- Serve Daliya hot or warm.
Nutrition Facts
Sweet Daliya Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 236 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 44mg2%
Potassium 223mg6%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 21g23%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 250IU5%
Calcium 113mg11%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian curry where cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices, grilled and then tossed in a creamy tomato based curry. This dish goes extremely well with butter naan or paratha or basmati rice.
About This Recipe
You know the most famous Indian food in the world? It is Chicken Tikka Masala, at least that’s what I think. You talk to anyone in the UK or USA and even if they don’t know much about Indian food they definitely know about chicken tikka masala. I think the dish is synonyms with Indian food in the west. The vegetarian version of it is of course Paneer Tikka Masala which is also quite popular and you would find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants.
Growing up in India, I had never heard of paneer tikka masala. Sure, we had paneer tikka but adding it to a curry was unknown, at least to me. I remember watching a MasterChef India episode some 10 years back which had chef Vikas Khanna and chef Kunal Kapoor talking about the origin of this dish. They also shared a recipe and so this recipe is inspired from their version.
They of course shared the recipe for chicken tikka masala but I changed it to paneer tikka masala and also made few changes depending on my preferences and availability. This recipe uses curry powder which is a common spice mix in the west (again this spice mix doesn’t even exist in India) and it makes sense since this dish originated in the UK. There are stories of how a chef added cream sauce to chicken tikka to please the taste buds of British people and that’s where it originated from.
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the tikka part where paneer, onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices and then grilled. You can cook the tikka in tandoor, oven or in your pan. The other part of the recipe is the curry which is a smooth curry made with onions, tomatoes, cream and butter. The grilled tikka is added to the curry and then served as a main course with side of bread.
This Paneer Tikka Masala
- is super creamy, smooth.
- goes well with naan, paratha.
- makes a comforting meal.
- leftovers are great as well!
Ingredients
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the paneer tikka and the curry.
Paneer Tikka
Paneer: you can use either homemade or store bought paneer but whatever paneer you use, it should be firm and be able to hold it’s shape. You can find paneer at Indian grocery stores or make it at home.
Yogurt: for the marinade, it is best to use thick yogurt. Either use Greek yogurt or if using regular yogurt, use store bought yogurt which tends to be thicker than homemade yogurt. If using homemade yogurt, strain it using a muslin cloth for at least 3 to 4 hours to get rid of all the excess water.
Spices: the marinade uses coriander powder, garam masala, two types of chili powder, ginger-garlic and lime juice. You can also use fresh herbs like cilantro, mint.
The Masala/Curry
Curry base: the base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic which is quite a staple for most creamy Indian curries. I like using white onion for that sweet, subtle flavor.
Spices: this paneer tikka masala recipe uses curry powder which is a mix of spices and is popular in the western world. It’s not so much popular in India actually, in fact I didn’t even know it existed until I moved out of India. If you don’t have it, you can use a blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Flavor enhancers: to make the curry creamy, we finish the recipe with butter, cream and cilantro!
Step by Step Instructions
1- We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add yogurt (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon), make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe). To that add the following:
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 lime
2- Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
3- Now add 225 grams paneer (cubed into big cubes), 1 medium red onion (quartered and separated into petals) and 1 medium green pepper (cut into 1 inch cubes).
4- Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
5- Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1-inch cinnamon stick.
6- Let the seeds sizzle and then add 1 large white onion (roughly chopped), 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, chopped and 1-inch chopped ginger.
7- Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
8- Then add 3 large tomatoes (chopped) along with the following:
- 1& 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
9- Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
10- Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
11- Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
12- Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
13- Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
14- Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
15- Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry.
16- Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve paneer tikka masala with the following:
- Butter Naan: nothing like fluffy, soft homemade naan to dip into the curry.
- Jeera rice: rice seasoned with cumin seeds makes the perfect pairing.
- Roti: you can never go wrong with the classic Indian everyday bread.
- Tandoori roti: another great bread to serve the curry with.
Vegan Variation
For a vegan version of this recipe you can do the following substitutions:
- use extra-firm tofu in place of paneer.
- marinate the tofu with thick coconut milk (use the top part from the can) or vegan yogurt (plain almond milk works well).
- replace butter with vegan butter.
- replace heavy cream with coconut milk.
Tips & Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added toward the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No they are different. Paneer Tikka is served as an appetizer and has cubes of grilled paneer where for paneer tikka masala the grilled paneer is added to a creamy curry and served as a main dish.
Go for a mix of coriander powder, turmeric, cumin and ginger. For replacing 1 u0026 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in this recipe, I would probably use 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger.
They are both popular paneer recipes but the way you make them is different. For the tikka masala, we first marinate the paneer, grill it and then add to the curry. For the paneer makhani, the sauce is made with nuts, onions, tomatoes and then paneer pieces are added to it directly.
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in April 2014. I have updated the recipe with better photos, videos and made slight modifications to make it better. The curry part of the recipe is same but I have added onions and peppers to the tikka part. If you wish to make it like the old recipe, just skip on the onions and peppers.
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Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Paneer Tikka
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp yogurt use thick plain whole milk yogurt which has been strained or Greek yogurt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 225 grams paneer cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion quartered and separated into petals
- 1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
Curry
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado oil, use oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter divided, unsalted or salted either works
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large white onion roughly chopped, around 150 grams
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped, around 400 grams
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder divided (for color, not hot)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar I used granulated white sugar
- 1 cup water or more as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream 30-45 ml
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
-
We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add thick yogurt, make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe or use Greek yogurt).
-
To that add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and juice of 1/2 lime.
Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
-
Now add cubed paneer, onion (quartered and separated into petals) and green pepper
Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
-
Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
-
Let the seeds sizzle and then add white onion (roughly chopped), chopped garlic cloves and chopped ginger. Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
-
Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with curry powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and sugar. Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
-
Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
-
Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
-
Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
-
Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cream and chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
-
Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Video
Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added towards the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
- Older recipe: I have updated the recipe to make it better. The older recipe didn’t have onions and pepper added to the marinade and had a tablespoon of less butter in the curry. You can definitely use the old recipe, it’s almost same except these minor changes.
Nutrition
-
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