Most of us will agree with the fact that dadi and nani ke hath ka khana has a taste and feel that can never be replaced with any other 5-star luxury meal out there. Their secret? Fresh, authentic, organic ingredients that range from homegrown veggies to pure chakki atta!
When it comes to traditional cooking Indian flatbread is one of the staple meal dishes of North India and an important meal dish in all other parts of India. Since time immemorial, chapati has been an essential part of a wholesome meal and is also served as a religious offering to priests. True to the fact that chapati or roti is loaded with dietary fiber, B-vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, and some vital minerals that helps to keep the body nutritionally balanced.
Most Indian households prefer chapatis that are round, soft, fluffy, and remain fresh for a longer time. To prepare such chapatis, stone grinding flour or chakki atta is imperative. However, the growing trend of pre-packed food products has taken over chakki fresh atta resulting in poor nutritional status and compromised health.
Through this piece of the article let’s try to understand the health benefits of switching back to dadi-nani special chakki fresh or stone grounded atta!
What is Chakki Fresh Atta?
The traditional grinding process is used to prepare authentic whole wheat flour. The stone grounding technique is generally used to preserve the nutrients. When atta is procured with the hand grounding techniques the wheat germ which is an important grain component is not exposed to high temperature. This keeps the authentic taste, aroma, and flavor of the wheat flour intact.
Plus, the nutrients that are usually lost during the roller mills or commercial atta-making process due to the removal of wheat bran are left untouched in the chakki atta. This helps to improve the overall nutritional makeup of chakki atta. Another important benefit of chakki fresh atta is that the ‘chokar’ or the roughage that is abundantly loaded with fiber is not washed away in the stone grinding process.
Chakki fresh atta does not require preservatives or additives to keep it fresh for longer. Chakki atta is naturally blessed with being organic and longer in shelf life.
What is Commercial Roller Mills Atta?
The prepacked atta has gained a lot of popularity due to its ease of availability. This wheat flour is prepared by commercial milling of the wheat kernel. Usually, the wheat is exposed to an external high temperature during this process. This leads to the loss of wheat germ resulting in the loss of nutrients like B-vitamins and some heat-sensitive minerals. The essential nutrients are killed in the process of preparing commercial atta.
Further, to preserve the atta and keep it fresh for as long as possible, the commercial atta is packed in plastic bags that are pumped with nitrogen gas. This definitely prevents atta from rancidity and moisture build-up but also deteriorates the efficacy of nutrients in the wheat flour. However, this is not it. Pre-packed wheat flour also contains preservatives, chemicals, and baking agents that may harm the immune system when consumed over a prolonged period of time.
Pre-packed wheat flour is pricey and much inferior in quality as compared to chakki fresh atta, yet people prefer to choose commercially available wheat flour for regular consumption!
Health Benefits of Chakki Fresh Atta–
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Relieves Constipation
Unlike pre-packed atta, chakki fresh atta is loaded with soluble and insoluble fiber. These help to regularize bowel movement and ease the digestive passage. Health experts suggest people with irregular bowel movements switch to chakki fresh stone grounded atta to relieve constipation.
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Helps Control Cholesterol
Accumulation of bad fat or high cholesterol can result in clogged arteries or heart-related complaints. Chakki fresh atta contains good fat in higher amounts as compared to pre-packed atta. This good fat helps to lower cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, regularly consuming chakki fresh atta naturally helps to reduce high cholesterol in the body, keeping the heart fit and active.
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Builds and Boosts Immunity
Commercially pre-packed wheat flour is exposed to temperatures as high as 90°C. B-vitamins, which are particularly crucial for building immunity can not resist such a high temperature and are completely killed during the process of wheat flour processing. However, most of the brands tend to enrich the finished wheat flour with the lost nutrients. the number of nutrients added back is always inferior to its actual proportion. Stone grounded chakki fresh atta undergoes mild processing that does not reduce the number of B vitamins naturally present in the wheat bran.
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Helps Maintain Healthy Weight
When exposed to higher temperatures, protein began to denature and lose its efficacy. However, chakki grounded atta is not exposed to extremely high temperatures, This keeps the protein intact. Plus, the dietary fiber present in chakki fresh atta provides roughage that helps to maintain a healthy weight naturally.
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Free of Preservatives, Chemicals, and Nitrogen
In order to avoid spoilage of pre-packed atta and to improve its shelf life, nitrogen and preservatives are added to the wheat flour. Further, it is packed in plastic bags. However, chakki fresh atta requires no chemicals and preservatives to keep it fresh. Moreover, research studies prove that prolonged consumption of pre-packed and inorganic food products can drastically damage the immune system and can lead to degenerative health disorders. Switching to chakki fresh atta keeps all related complaints at bay.
Chakki Fresh Atta v/s Pre-Packed Atta
Chakki Fresh Atta
Pre-Packed Atta
Naturally rich in B-vitamins and minerals
Enriched with vitamins and minerals in lesser amounts
Does not require preservatives for maintaining shelf life
Prone to spoilage if not stored properly, even after preservatives being added up
Free of adulterants, chemicals, and artificial additives
Higher chances of adulterants being added by manufacturers
Does not contain nitrogen
Contains nitrogen to keep the atta fresh and free of moisture
It is clean, organic and affordable
It is pricey, prepacked and in-organic
Summing Up-
Pre-packed food products are definitely the most convenient and easily accessible meals. However, swapping organic chakki atta with commercially packed wheat flour is one of the worst food choices to make.
Machine-prepared wheat atta undergoes multiple rounds of processing that breaks the most important bran that locks and protects all the nutrients of the wheat kernel. Further processing removes highly nutritious wheat germ. This clearly indicates the poor availability of nutrients in packaged wheat flour.
On the other hand, Chakki fresh atta goes through mild processing that does not reduce the nutrients that are naturally present in the wheat. Plus, it naturally has a longer shelf life even without preservatives, chemicals, or nitrogen being added to it.
Hence, to be able to live a healthy life, it is important to go back to the roots by switching to organic chakki atta– the core ingredient of Indian cooking!