Chapati Atta

Chapati atta, also sold as chapatti flour or whole wheat flour, is milled from hard wheat with the bran and germ left in. Chakki atta is ground between stones, the traditional way, which warms the flour slightly and gives rotis a sweeter taste and softer texture than roller milled flour. It is the flour for chapati, phulka, tandoori roti, aloo paratha, methi thepla and puri.

Labels in the UK often say medium, fine or white. Medium atta is the everyday choice and gives the familiar light brown roti; fine atta makes thinner, softer breads; white atta has less bran for a paler, lighter roti. Families who make rotis daily usually buy a large sack, while a small bag is fine for trying a new mill. Aashirvaad is a familiar choice for chakki atta.

Knead atta with warm water and a pinch of salt into a soft, slightly sticky dough, then rest it for twenty to thirty minutes. A teaspoon of oil or ghee in the dough keeps rotis soft for lunchboxes. For a heartier bread, try multigrain atta, and for naan and bhatura, maida. All sit under wheat flour.