NAWAB DESI MAKKI ATTA 1KG

Description

Nawab Desi Makki Atta 1KG comes out of the bag heavy, golden and gritty between the fingers. Desi in the name points at the coarser, traditional grind rather than the fine cream coloured maize meal sold for baking.

Its one great dish is makki di roti with sarson da saag, the Punjabi winter pairing. The flour has no gluten, so the dough will not stretch and is patted out between the palms or pressed on a sheet of plastic rather than rolled thin. It also goes into dhebra and thepla mixes and into batters that want a bit of grit.

Is makki atta the same as cornflour? No, and this is the mistake that ruins a recipe. Makki atta is the whole maize kernel ground to flour, yellow and heavy. Cornflour is the white starch pulled out of the kernel, used to thicken. One will not do the other’s job.

Why does my makki roti keep breaking? Because there is no gluten in it to hold it together. Use hot water rather than cold when you knead, work the dough well, and pat the roti out on a damp cloth or a sheet of plastic instead of rolling it. A spoon of wheat atta mixed in makes it easier still, though purists will not.

In a smaller pack, the 500 gram makki atta suits a first try, and millet and maize flours carries the bajra, jowar and ragi. Vegetarian. Store it in a cool, dry place in a sealed container, because flour takes up damp and picks up the smell of whatever sits beside it. Order online at Panjab Supermarket for same-day delivery across Nieuwegein, Utrecht, Leidsche Rijn, Vleuten, Maarssen, Zeist, Bunnik, IJsselstein, Vianen, and Culemborg. Free delivery on orders over 49 euros.