India Gate Flours

Whole wheat flour is commonly known in India as ‘Atta’. But even Atta has different varieties and one of them is ‘Chakki Atta’.

Chakki Atta is also a familiar term for most Indian households, in fact, it is the most popular type of Atta. However, Chakki Atta is particular to the Indian subcontinent, as it is rare to find a similar flour anywhere else.

So, the obvious question to ask is- ‘What is the difference between Chakki Atta and regular whole wheat flour or Atta?’

Continue reading to find out what exactly differentiates Chakki Atta from normal Atta.

Table of Contents

The milling process

Chakki Atta’s Edge

Conclusion

The milling process

Indian wheat belongs to the high-protein aestivum variety and both the regular and Chakki Atta are made from the same wheat grains. Thus, the defining difference between normal Atta and Chakki Atta comes from the difference in their milling process.

Wheat flour is uniquely milled, using a stone mill, in India. These stone mills are popularly known as Chakkis and hence the name- Chakki Atta. The regular Atta, however, is milled via roller mills.

A Chakki, simply said, is just a pair of stones, where one stone remains stationary and the other one rotates. These were operated by hand in the old days but these days they run on electricity.

Chakki Atta’s Edge

While running, stone mills or Chakkis generate a considerable amount of heat due to friction. This heat causes the phenomenon known as ‘Starch Damage’. Moreover, it also results in significant damage to the protein in comparison to other milling techniques.

Chakki atta is preferred over roller mill atta because of its texture and the unique flavor it imparts to a Chapati or Roti. The stone grinding breaks down the starch, releasing some extra sweetness, while slightly burning it to give that unique flavor.

Indian atta is a finely milled wheat flour that works wonderfully well for making Indian flatbreads and chakki is the most preferred milling process for Indian breads.

It is interesting to note that both methods of milling generate heat. In fact, roller mills generate more heat than stone mills and thereby lose some nutrition and vitamins in the grinding. But unlike a Chakki they don't damage the starch and protein in the flour. Chakki alters the starch content which might not aid western bread making but serves great for preparing the Indian bread (Chapati/Roti).

Conclusion

Thus, all the differences between Chakki Atta and normal Atta arise out of the unique milling process. Chakki Atta has an edge over the regular atta as it is both richer in nutrition and also carries that extra sweetness and unique Indian flavor.

You can check out India Gate’s wide range of premium quality products, including their whole wheat chakki atta.