Start with the label
A pack tells you most of what you need if you know where to look.
- The name: "whole wheat atta" describes the flour; plain "atta" does not say how much of the grain is in it.
- The ingredients: plain atta should list wheat and nothing else. Look for anything added that you did not expect.
- The FSSAI licence number of the packer, which should be printed on the pack.
- Batch and packing details and a best-before date.
- Net weight and storage instructions.
Whole wheat, refined or blended?
Whole wheat atta is milled with the bran and germ included, which is why it is light brown and slightly coarse. Maida is refined, with the bran and germ removed. Some packs are blends of several grains. None of these is wrong; they suit different cooking. Our guide to maida and atta lays out the difference, and the types of flour in India guide compares all the common flours.
Chakki or roller-milled?
Chakki atta is ground between stones; roller-milled atta is ground and separated on rollers. Neither is automatically better. Chakki atta usually looks a little more rustic and many cooks like the softness of the rotis it makes. What matters is that the pack states how it is milled and that the flour is fresh. The full comparison is in chakki atta vs roller-milled atta.
Check freshness with your senses
Smell
Fresh atta smells mild and slightly sweet, like wheat. A musty, sour or bitter smell means the flour is old, has taken in moisture or has turned.
Look and feel
Atta should be a loose, even powder. Lumps that do not break easily point to moisture. Small dark specks or webbing mean insects. Colour is a weak guide on its own: it varies with the wheat variety and the milling, so a darker or lighter atta is not automatically better or worse.
A simple dough test
Before committing to a large pack, or a first bulk order, knead a small batch and cook a few rotis.
- Knead. Mix about a cupful of atta with water, a little at a time, and knead for a few minutes. Note how much water it takes.
- Rest. Cover the dough and rest it for twenty to thirty minutes. Good atta dough turns smoother and easier to roll.
- Roll. Roll a few rotis. They should roll out without tearing or springing back too hard.
- Cook. Cook on a hot tawa. Notice how they puff, how they taste and whether they are still soft an hour later.
Results also depend on water, kneading, resting time and the tawa, so compare two flours the same way, on the same day, with the same method.
Choose a pack size you will finish
Atta is best used while fresh, so buy the pack you will finish in a reasonable time. A small household may prefer the smaller packs; a larger family or a small kitchen may prefer the largest. Mamta Bhoj is packed in 1 kg, 2 kg and 5 kg. Whatever you choose, store it as described in our guide to storing flour.
Where Mamta Bhoj Fresh Chakki Atta fits
Mamta Bhoj Fresh Chakki Atta is 100% whole wheat and naturally stone-ground, made for everyday rotis, chapatis and parathas. Each pack carries the FSSAI licence number, batch and packing details and the nutrition information. For tandoor cooking, the coarser Tandoori Atta may suit better.
Buying for a kitchen, canteen or shop? See an atta, maida, sooji and besan manufacturer and institutional supply for kitchens and bakeries, or send an enquiry.
General information about how these products are commonly made and used. Methods, grades and recipes vary between mills and kitchens.
