What is whole wheat flour, gehun ka atta, gehun ka aata?

The word "whole" refers to the fact that all of the grain (bran, germ and endosperm) is used and nothing is lost in the process of making the flour. This is in contrast to white, refined flours, which contain only the endosperm.

Whole wheat flour is brown in colour as it is derived from the complete wheat kernel. It has a sweet and nutty flavour too. The whole wheat flour may be bleached or unbleached. Bleached whole wheat flour is lighter in colour than unbleached whole wheat flour. You can grind the wheat to get coarse or fine textured flour as per recipe requirements.

How to select whole wheat flour, gehun ka atta, gehun ka aata

• Whole wheat flour is available prepackaged. However, have a good look at the label before buying. Look for products that have "100 per cent whole wheat" on the label. Labels such as "stone-ground", "seven-grain", and "multigrain" often do not contain whole wheat flour and are not as nutritious.

• Goods made of whole wheat flour are also available; however you need to be careful in choosing wisely. Dont be misled by darker coloured breads, as some companies simply add caramel colouring or molasses to give a browner colour. Look for "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient. Avoid products whose first ingredient is "wheat flour" or "enriched flour" as they generally do not contain whole wheat flour.

Culinary Uses of whole wheat flour, gehun ka atta, gehun ka aata

Indian breads using whole wheat flour.

Masala puri made with whole wheat flour perked up with spices is a popular breakfast in Gujarat.

Dudh ki Roti is another variant of the normal roti, its soft texture and the pleasant flavour of milk and ghee is liked by all.

Aloo paratha, Gobi paratha are famous breakfast food in Punjab, commonly topped with homemade white butter, served with pickle and a glass of sweet lassi.

Delight your kids with these melt-in-the-mouth treats like Cheese paratha or Chocolate cheese paratha.

• Products with whole wheat flour might not be as tasty as those made with refined flour. Nevertheless, for its health benefits we have to practice our palate to like it.

• Whole wheat flour tends to produce baked goods with a heavy, dense texture as well as a bitter taste, especially when used in recipes developed for all-purpose flour.

• Start by replacing only part of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat. This significantly ups the recipes whole grain count, but prevents the baked goods from becoming too dense. It also minimises the astringent flavours that some people dislike about whole wheat.

• Nevertheless, it is possible to make a high-rising, light loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, so long as one increases the water content of the dough (the bran and germ in whole wheat absorb more water than plain white flour), kneads the dough for a longer period of time to develop the gluten adequately, and allows for a longer rise before shaping the dough.

• Some bakers let the dough rise twice before shaping.

• The addition of fats, such as butter or oil, and milk products (fresh milk, powdered milk, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.) can also greatly assist the rise.

• In India, whole wheat flour is extensively used to make dishes like roti, paratha and sheera.

• It can also be used to make pasta and noodles.

How to store whole wheat flour, gehun ka atta, gehun ka aata

• Whole wheat flour is more susceptible to spoilage than other flours because it contains the oils from the bran that can become rancid.

• If the flour is stored at room temperature, try to use it within a week or two.

• Otherwise you can store the flour in the fridge or freezer for up to a year.

Nutritional Information of Whole Wheat Flour, gehun ka atta

One cup of Whole Wheat Flour is 130 grams, which makes 8 rotis.

RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Nutritional Information for 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

443 Calories

15.73 grams of Protein

90 grams of Carbs

2.21 grams of Fat

461.5 mg of Phosphorus : 76.9% of RDA (about 600 mg for adult)

Full Nutritional Details of Whole Wheat Flour here.

Health benefits of whole wheat flour, gehun ka atta, gehun ka aata

Whole wheat flour is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food. Whole wheat flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially increase red blood cells. See detailed 11 benefits of whole wheat flour and why its good for you.

coarse whole wheat flour

Coarse whole wheat flour refers to the wheat flour which is milled to a coarse texture. As compared to normal whole wheat flour, this flour is coarse in texture and earthier in taste. Its texture is close to texture of sand, flecked with bran flakes. This kind of flour is commonly used in Rajasthani cuisine in dishes like churma, laddoos and also in other Indian sweets. Some people also use this flour to make breads with coarse texture. Other applications for Coarse Whole Wheat Flour are specialty breads and rolls such as multi-grain. It is also used in many wheat breads to provide a 'nutty' flavour and texture.