Broken wheat or Dalia is a kind of whole wheat that is rich in protein and fiber. Being of a high nutritional value, Dalia is a great option to incorporate into our daily food consumption. Several recipes can be made from it and Pongal is one of those quick, one-pot meal options. Typically Pongal is made from rice and moong dal; however, this recipe replaces rice with broken wheat as the primary ingredient.

Broken wheat Pongal was/is still a one-in-a week breakfast in my mother’s house. After having learned the recipe from her, I now make it quite frequently at my house too for either breakfast or lunch and it keeps us full for a longer time. It tastes great as it is without any accompaniment. However, spicy pickles, plain curd, and raita go very well on its side.

So if you are looking for a quick, yummy, healthy, one-pot meal with basic ingredients under 20 minutes, then broken wheat Pongal is an amazing option. Here’s my recipe for it.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

ingredients:

200g Broken wheat/ Dalia
50g split moong dal
1 litre of water
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 green chillies, split into halves
Cashews (Optional)
Salt to taste

For tempering:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil/ Ghee
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli, split into half
8-10 curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

procedure:

1. Rinse broken wheat and moong dal thoroughly in cold water – 2 to 3 times. Drain water and set aside.
2. Heat oil/ ghee in a pressure cooker on low-medium heat. Fry cashews until they turn light brown. Remove them from oil/ghee and keep aside.
3. Then add mustard seeds in the same oil/ghee and allow them to crackle.
4. Simmer and add cumin seeds, split red chilli, black peppercorns, green chilli and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Fry these for 10 seconds.
5. Transfer the rinsed broken wheat and moong dal into the pressure cooker and fry for 1 minute or until moong dal turns aromatic.
6. Pour water and give everything a good mix.
7. Stir in salt and bring the mixture to a boil. 
8. Once the Pongal mix comes to a boil, taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
9. Close the cooker lid and pressure cook on medium heat until 4 whistles, or until broken wheat is soft and well cooked. Turn off and let the cooker depressurize.
10. Then open the lid and mix pongal well.
11. If necessary, add water and adjust the consistency of Pongal.
12. Finally, add fried cashews to the Pongal, and give it a good mix. 
13. Enjoy healthy and delicious broken wheat Pongal as it as or with your favorite accompaniment.

note:

• You can tweak the quantity of each ingredient as per your taste and preference.
• Pongal tastes best when hot. It tends to become cakey as it drops to room temperature. Adding water and reheating helps in maintaining consistency.
• Pongal can be stored in refrigerator for a 1 day. Add water to adjust consistency and reheat before consuming.

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