The five flours side by side
| Flour | Made from | Feel | Common uses | Mamta Bhoj product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atta | Whole wheat grain | Light brown, slightly coarse | Rotis, chapatis, parathas | Fresh Chakki Atta |
| Tandoori atta | Wheat, milled coarser | Coarser than everyday atta | Tandoori rotis, thicker parathas | Tandoori Atta |
| Maida | Wheat endosperm only | Very fine, pale | Naan, biscuits, bakery items, pastry | Maida |
| Sooji / rava | Wheat, as semolina | Small even granules | Upma, halwa, dosa batter, snacks | Sooji / Rava |
| Besan | Chana dal (gram) | Fine, yellow | Pakoras, chilla, kadhi, sweets | Besan |
Wheat flours: one grain, different cuts
Atta, maida and sooji all start as wheat. What differs is which part of the grain is used and how finely it is ground. Atta uses the whole grain. Maida uses only the starchy centre, finely ground. Sooji is a coarser, granular milling of the wheat rather than a powder. Tandoori atta sits next to everyday atta: the same whole-grain idea, ground coarser.
For the detail on any pair, see maida vs atta, sooji vs rava and the tandoori atta guide. How flour is made explains the milling behind all of them.
Besan is not a wheat flour
Besan, also called gram flour, is milled from chana dal, a pulse, not from wheat. It behaves very differently from wheat flour: it has no gluten structure, so it makes batters and pastes rather than a stretchy dough. That is why it is used for pakoras, chilla and kadhi. Read more in what besan is.
Choosing by dish
| If you are making | Reach for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday rotis and parathas | Atta | Whole grain gives a soft, pliable dough |
| Tandoori rotis | Tandoori atta | A coarser grind is made for tandoor-style breads |
| Naan, kulcha, biscuits, pastry | Maida | Fine, refined flour gives a smooth, elastic dough |
| Upma, halwa, dosa batter | Sooji / rava | Even granules cook at a steady rate |
| Pakoras, chilla, kadhi, ladoo | Besan | Chana dal flour sets and binds without gluten |
Some recipes mix flours, for example atta with maida in certain breads. The table shows the usual main choice, not a rule.
Other flours you will see
Rice flour, ragi, jowar, bajra and multigrain blends are also common. Millet and rice flours are gluten-free, so they do not rise or roll the way wheat dough does, and they are used for different dishes. This guide covers the five flours that Mamta Bhoj mills, listed in the table above: Fresh Chakki Atta, Tandoori Atta, Maida, Sooji / Rava and Besan, each in 1 kg, 2 kg and 5 kg packs.
Buying these flours for a business
Dealers, bakeries, sweet shops and kitchens can read about a manufacturer that makes all five flours or about wholesale supply for dealers and retailers. Devmam Flourish Foods LLP mills them at its unit in Kanpur; see our flour manufacturer in Kanpur page.
General information about how these products are commonly made and used. Methods, grades and recipes vary between mills and kitchens.
