Broken wheat

Broken wheat is made by crushing whole raw wheat grains into coarse, unrefined fragments while retaining the nutritious germ and bran.

It’s sold as dried cracked pieces. In many homes you’ll hear it called daliya, and you cook it so it absorbs liquid and turns tender.

Naturally nutty with an earthy whole-grain note. Dry-roasting or lightly sautéing it in ghee before boiling brings a sweeter aroma and a deeper toasted nutty flavor.

For everyday comfort, simmer broken wheat with yellow moong dal and mild spices to make dalia khichdi, a standard across North and West India.

In Gujarat and Rajasthan, roast it in ghee and sweeten with jaggery or sugar to make traditional lapsi.

In the South, cook godhumai rava upma with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and vegetables. In Kerala, nurukku gothambu is cooked in jaggery syrup and coconut milk for festive payasam.

Wheat originated in the Fertile Crescent and has been cultivated across northern India since the Indus Valley Civilization. Major wheat-growing states include Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. GI-tagged varieties you may encounter include Bhalia Wheat from Gujarat and Sharbati Wheat from Madhya Pradesh.

A whole-cereal product high in complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber, with moderate plant protein, iron, and magnesium.