Lapsi (Cracked Wheat Sweet)

Lapsi is a sweet dish made with roasted broken wheat (Dalia) and sweetened with jaggery. Garnished with nuts and flavored with cardamom, this cracked wheat recipe is perfect for celebrations. With a rich brown color, this lapsi halwa recipe can be cooked in the instant pot within minutes.

Lapsi halwa is a popular delicacy in the Indian states of both Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is often made during festivals or during any auspicious occasion. My mom was visiting recently as I had given birth to my second daughter. She insisted that I include more Dalia (cracked wheat) in my diet. So, I looked upon a variety of recipes and lapsi was one of them. It turned out so good that I had to share it with you all!

What is Lapsi?

Lapsi is known by many names such as Cracked Wheat Fada, Fada Lapsi, Lapsi Halwa, Sweet Dalia, Gur ki Lapsi or Gur ka Halwa. It is one of the most popular cracked wheat sweet recipes in Northern India. The primary ingredients of this dish are

• Dalia (cracked wheat)
• Gur (jaggery)
• Ghee (clarified butter)

Dalia is easy to cook and is widely used in salads, stews, and many other dishes. Jaggery is a healthier alternative to sugar and is rich in iron. Ghee is rich in dietary fiber and boosts immunity.

What is Dalia or Broken Wheat?

Dalia is a whole wheat grain cleaned, broken and processed to be coarse. It is known by many names like Sambha Rava, Godhuma Rava, and Bulgur. It is also commonly known as cracked wheat or broken wheat. Dalia is a very common ingredient in Indian cuisine and is used to make a variety of recipes such as broken wheat pulao, Upma, Dalia kheer, etc.

Health benefits of Dalia

• Dalia is a nutritious whole grain loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Dalia is an excellent source of protein. If you are following a vegan diet, then you can include Dalia in your daily diet.
• It contains a rich fiber content that aids digestion and improves gut health.
• It also has a low glycemic index.

A healthy sweet, this sweet Dalia recipe with jaggery is perfect for cravings. Loaded with the benefits of jaggery and clarified butter, this recipe is one of the healthiest Indian sweets.

How to make Lapsi?

We can make this recipe in the pressure cooker or instant pot. It can also be made in a pan on stovetop.

Gather the ingredients and let's get cooking.

Making Lapsi in Instant Pot

1. Set the Instant pot on sauté mode and melt ghee in it. Add dalia to the pot.
2. Roast till it becomes brown and fragrant. Keep stirring continuously to avoid the burning the dalia.
3. When the dalia is almost roasted, add sliced almonds to the pot and sauté.
4. Then add water, jaggery along with cardamom and saffron and stir well.
5. Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure. Release that pressure naturally and if there is any liquid remaining in the pot, then turn on saute mode and dry it out.
6. Garnish the Lapsi with sliced pistachios and serve.

Making Lapsi in Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Follow the same steps above for a stovetop pressure cooker in medium flame. Add the required quantity of water and pressure cook them on a high flame. Release the pressure naturally.

Making Lapsi in a pan

You can also prepare Lapsi in a traditional heavy-bottomed pan. This method needs more active monitoring and stirring.

1. Melt ghee in a heavy bottom pan on medium flame.
2. Once the ghee is hot, add dalia to the pan and roast till it becomes fragrant and brown.
3. Add the sliced almonds to the mixture and sauté them on low heat.
4. Add water and saffron to the mixture and let it cook till the broken wheat gets tender and ghee starts to separate from the sides.
5. Then add the jaggery and the cardamom and mix well with the Dalia. Sauté till they blend well with the Dalia for a few seconds and then turn the stove off.
6. Garnish Lapsi with sliced pistachios and serve hot.

Tips to make perfect Gur ka Lapsi Halwa

• I use the fine variety of Dalia to make this lapsi recipe. There is a larger grain variety but it takes more time to cook.
• Having doubts about whether the Dalia is cooked or not? No worries, just take a small scoop of the Dalia and mash it with your fingers. If it mashes well, then it is cooked.
• Using jaggery instead of sugar gives a healthier twist to the dessert.
• You can also add nuts of your choice along with grated coconut to make the dish more wholesome.

Enjoy this healthy Lapsi recipe and do let me know how it turns out!

Here are other Indian desserts you might like: 

• Rice Kheer - An easy dump-and-go recipe for the popular Indian rice pudding.
• Zarda Sweet Rice - This aromatic sweet saffron flavored rice is royal dessert made on special occasions and festivals.
• Coconut Pumpkin Halwa - Also called Kaddu ka Halwa, this is an Indian pumpkin dessert made with pumpkin, sugar, ghee, coconut and nuts.