Atta and Maida: What is the difference?

Atta and Maida are very different in their nutritional and health values.

Often knowing the differences in their nutrient values isn’t enough, many people can’t even differentiate between Atta and Maida until guided by the hands of their elders. Of course both flours look and feel different, but if you are new to cooking, the difference might not be as clear.

Read along to know more about some major differences between Atta and Maida to help you differentiate better. We hope you find it useful.

Table of Content:

1. What is Atta or Whole Wheat Flour?
2. What is Maida or All-Purpose Flour?
3. What are the key differences between Atta and Maida?
   • Production Process
   • Taste and Nutrition
   • Accessibility and Usage
   • Affordability
4. Conclusion

1. What is Atta or Whole Wheat Flour?

Atta refers to finely milled whole wheat flour that is exceptionally great for cooking Indian breads but is a commonly used word for any kind of flour. 

Terms like Bajre ka Atta, Jowar ka Atta etc. are generally used to refer to other forms of wheat flour. Large mills like Vikram Roller Flour Mills produce wheat flour in massive quantities for consumers nationwide.

Rich in gluten, Atta provides elasticity in its dough, allowing for easy production of various thin sheet breads. The term whole wheat flour is used because Atta contains all aspects of the wheat grain including the bran, the germ and the endosperm.

2. What is Maida or All-Purpose Flour?

Maida, or all purpose flour is a byproduct of wheat grain which is refined and processed before it is distributed for consumption.

Made from the endosperm of the wheat grain, Maida is generally yellowish in colour and then turns white after it goes through the bleaching process. Heat generated during the processing of Maida denatures the protein content, limiting its use to only certain kinds of bread. 

Used extensively in Central Asian and Indian cuisines, Maida is great for baking flatbreads such as Naan and Tandoori Roti. Bhatura is also a deep fried, fluffy bread made using Maida.

3. What are the key differences between Atta and Maida?

While both Whole Wheat Flour or Atta and All Purpose Flour or Maida are made from wheat grain, there are a bunch of differences that allow us to separate Atta from Maida. Here are some ways to differentiate Atta from Maida.

• Production Process: Wheat is processed by finely milling the grain in its raw form whereas Maida is processed after removing the bran and germ from the endosperm and then goes through a bleaching process to produce Maida flour. No bleaching is required when milling Atta and hence makes it a more chemical free process.

• Taste and Nutrition: Both whole wheat flour and all purpose flour differ greatly in their taste and nutritional values. Atta or whole wheat flour flour has a sweetish taste to it and is rich in gluten and other proteins, whereas Maida has no specific taste to it. Infact, Maida is unhealthier when compared to Atta because of less protein content. Atta is rich in proteins, fibers, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates whereas Maida is only enriched with carbohydrates. Atta is extremely coarse when touched, whereas Maida is much more smoother and finer.

• Accessibility and Usage: Whole wheat flour is a commonly used household flour and is extremely easy to prepare at small mills as well. Maida or all-purpose flour, on the other hand, is a processed flour which can only be made in certain mills and is not very handy and accessible. While Atta is the more widely used household wheat flour, Maida takes the spot when it come to bakeries and restaurants, as Atta is rarely used in bakery products, whereas Maida is one of the most common ingredients in bakery products and used in Naans, Kulchas, deep fried snacks and other bakery items.

• Affordability: Maida is a less nutritious and cheaper alternative when it comes to selecting the flour for your household purposes. A kilogram of Maida generally costs between INR 35-45, whereas a kilogram of Atta costs somewhere between INR 40-60.

4. Conclusion: 

In this blog, other than learning Maida is not the same as Atta, we learnt about the wide range of differences present between the two kinds of flours. Be it their nutritional values, or the household usage, Atta or whole wheat flour has the upperhand in taste as well as nutrition, but that doesn’t mean Maida has no benefits. Maida or all-purpose flour is widely used for baking purposes and the low gluten content provides for a fluffy and spongy texture when it comes to bakery. 

Vikram Mills produces the best and the most high quality wheat products and delivers them all over India! Visit us here, at Vikram Roller Flour Mills, to know more about high quality wheat products, or shop our products at your nearest departmental store.