Atta is the main ingredient of most varieties of Indian bread. It is a whole wheat-flour made from hard wheat grown across the Indian subcontinent. Flatbread made from atta, such as chapati, roti, naan and puri, are an integral part of Indian cuisine.
Hard wheats have a high protein content, so doughs made out of atta flour are strong and can be rolled out very thin.
Preparation
Atta is obtained from grinding complete wheat grains. It is creamy brown in colour and relatively coarse compared to other types of flour. Since nothing is removed from atta, all the constituents of the wheat grain are preserved.
Traditionally, atta is made by stone grinding, a process that imparts a characteristic aroma and taste to the bread. High bran content of atta makes it a fiber-rich food. The temperatures attained in a chakki (mill or grinder, traditionally from stone)[1][2], produced by friction, are of the order of 110-125 deg C. At such high temperatures, the carotenes present in the bran tend to exude the characteristic roasty smell, and contribute to the sweetness of the atta.
The various quality control parameters for the atta industry are Ash Content, Moisture Content, Acid Insoluble Ash, Water Absorption, Alcoholic Acidity, Granulation Profile, Damaged Starch and Gluten Content.
Gallery
 Rolling of atta dough |
 Paratha prepared from atta |
 Puri is made mainly from atta |
 Kulcha with chana masala |
See also
 |
This food ingredient-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
