Instant Pot Fada Lapsi (Gujarati Broken Wheat Sweet)
Coarse broken wheat roasted in ghee, pressure cooked until tender, then sweetened with jaggery for a fluffy Gujarati festival lapsi with separate chutti grains.
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Stovetop kettle for boiling water
Ingredients
For the lapsi
- 1 cup coarse broken wheat (dalia / fada) large or medium grain
- 1/3 cup ghee plus 1 tablespoon if needed at the end
- 3 cups water boiling hot
- 3/4 cup jaggery grated, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick optional
- 1 pinch saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water, optional
For the garnish
- 2 tablespoons cashews halved
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons almonds or pistachios slivered
Instructions
Roast and pressure cook (Instant Pot)
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). When hot, add ghee, cashews, raisins, and cinnamon. Fry 1 to 2 minutes until cashews turn pale gold. Scoop out half the nuts and raisins for garnish; leave the rest in the pot.
- Add broken wheat. Stir constantly on Sauté for 7 to 8 minutes until the grain smells nutty and turns light golden brown. Do not rush this step on high heat.
- Pour in boiling water and deglaze the bottom well. Cancel Sauté.
- Close the lid, valve to Sealing. Cook High Pressure 8 minutes, then Natural Release 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid. Press a grain between your fingers. It should mash easily. If still firm, add 1/4 cup hot water, close, and pressure cook 2 minutes with quick release.
Sweeten and finish
- Set pot to Sauté (Low). Stir in jaggery. Cook 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the jaggery melts and the mixture looks glossy and most moisture is absorbed. Add cardamom and saffron water.
- Turn off the heat. Cover with a glass lid or the Instant Pot lid (not sealed) and rest 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Garnish with reserved nuts and pistachio slivers. Serve warm.
Stovetop pressure cooker method
- Follow the roast steps in a pressure cooker on medium heat.
- Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 3 whistles. Let pressure drop naturally 10 minutes.
- Open, check grain doneness, then finish with jaggery on low heat as in the sweeten and finish steps above.
Notes
Jaggery vs sugar, replace jaggery with 2/3 cup sugar if needed. Sugar melts faster; reduce the final sauté time by a few minutes.
Water ratio, start with 3 cups for large-grain fada. If your dalia is finer, use 2 1/2 cups.
Ghee matters, less ghee can make lapsi clump. If it looks dry before jaggery goes in, add the extra 1 tablespoon ghee.
Make ahead, cool completely and refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water and a tiny knob of ghee.
Thali pairing, serve with methi thepla, a Gujarati shaak, and dal for a festive plate.
Storage, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over the top before reheating.
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