Masala Dalia (Spicy Wheat Porridge): An all time meal

Masala Dalia or Spicy Wheat Porridge is a delicious, fibrous, nutritious plus easy to prepare and a digestive dish. It's good to start your day with a healthy breakfast. It's good for kids, young and elderly people. A wholesome breakfast for nursing mothers and pregnant women, it's really beneficial. It can be taken in breakfast, lunch, and in evening snacks, and dinner too. It's actually an all time meal. It's really a healthy, nutritive and energy giving dish. It has many benefits, weight loss is one among them, that I have discussed in this article.

Dalia is the main ingredient used in preparing Spicy Wheat porridge. Dalia is a broken or cracked whole wheat berries, used across India in various forms. Dalia is also referred as Bulgar wheat. It is available in thick, medium, and thin versions. I have used medium version. Before telling the recipe, I want to discuss the benefits of Dalia and why I preferred Dalia recipe. Now, one by one I am telling you the benefits of eating Dalia.

• Nutritive: Dalia is a crushed or broken wheat. It's not a refined wheat and It's better than wheat bread or chapati, which is made up of ground wheat flour. Dalia contains wheat bran. It is the hard outer layer of wheat berry which contains the maximum nutrients. In wheat flour, maximum nutrients are removed from wheat while extracting flour.

• Prevents Obesity: Dalia is a great source of protein, vitamin B, and fibre plus a low calorie food. It has very low fat. Its fibre content fills up the space, brings satiety and protein provides low calories but more energy for physical activity. Protein provides 4 kcal/g while fat provides 9 kcal/g. In this way, Dalia provides you energy but helps in loosing weight and prevents obesity.

• Source of Vitamin B complex: Dalia is a rich source of vitamin B complex, specially, vitamin B1 called Thiamine and vitamin B2 called Riboflavin. Vitamin B1 strengthens immune system and also keeps the nervous system healthy. Vitamin B2 helps in the production of red blood cells and converting energy from carbohydrates, also good for skin and eyesight. So, Dalia is good to eat. Isn't it?

• Satiates Hunger: Since, Dalia is rich in fibre, even, its fibre content is more than twice of brown rice and fibre takes longer time in getting fully absorbed. Hence, it keeps you full for longer time, satiates your hunger. So you can control your hunger pangs by eating fibre enriched foods like Dalia. So, you will not feel hungry quickly.

• Relieves Constipation: Further more, the insoluble fibre content present in Dalia promotes good digestion. The insoluble fibre absorbs water, thus promoting faster elimination of waste. Thus, Dalia relieves constipation and improves body functioning.

• Helps in controlling Diabetes: It has low glycemic index which is used to measure how much sugar is being converted from any particular food. A higher index indicates more sugar in the blood . Due to low glycemic index, Dalia slows down the rate of blood glucose level which helps in controlling Diabetes.

• Good for hypertensive patients: Dalia is also a rich source of magnesium, helps in detoxifying the body, lowers the amount of sodium in blood, which controls blood pressure from rising high.

• Lowers Bad Cholesterol: Dalia contains soluble fibre too, which helps in lowering bad cholesterol or LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). Soluble fibre dissolves in water and turns into gel like substance inside intestine and it binds to cholesterol in the intestine and promotes excretion.
• Boosts Breast Milk Supply in Lactating mothers: Dalia is good for nursing mothers. It can be given with steamed mung beans and other veggies, making it more nutritive and delicious, as I have mentioned in my recipe. It increases quantity of breast milk.

So, I have mentioned many benefits. Now, I hope you will be interested in knowing the recipe. So, let us start.The wheat porridge recipe, I am going to tell you is light to eat and tasty. It can be taken with different vegetables like carrots, peas, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, capsicum etc. Many chopped vegetables you can add, as per your choice, to enhance taste. Here, I am using peas and carrots as main veggies in my Wheat Porridge. So, let us start preparing our spicy and yummy Wheat Porridge.

Here, I am giving you different variations for preparing Masala Dalia, besides above mentioned recipe. After preparing the dish .....

• If you like pomegranate seeds you can add it. It gives you a sweet and sour taste. I am sure you will like it.

OR

• You can add finely chopped onions, finely chopped baby tomatoes, with this add steamed grated sugar-beets, sprouted and steamed mung-beans ( green grams). Now, just sprinkle fruit spice. I am sure you will definitely like the taste. In this way, fruit spice with fruit salad imparts a different, delicious, and new flavour to the dish.

OR

• You can also add fresh curd with a pinch of roasted cumin powder, and a pinch of salt to the dish.

OR

• You can add grated fresh cheese too.

So, one by one you can try my Masala Dalia with different variations and every time you will get some new taste and that will be delicious too. So, you will never get bored with the same dish. So, a little variation is good in recipe. You can try Barley Porridge too using the same recipe.

• Do not pan-roast the Dalia for longer than required, as the Dalia can taste bitter.
• Use spatula for stirring and stir frequently to prevent the Dalia from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

More you eat dalia with roughage items such as fresh tomatoes, onions, carrots, sugar beets, reddish, sprouts, and steamed vegetables etc. more you will remain healthy and fit.

If you like my recipe and its benefits, try it. I will try my best for the next recipe. I am waiting for your precious comments. Have a nice time!