(All Purpose Flour, Plain Flour, White Flour)
There is much confusion among people regarding the different forms of wheat flours like maida, atta, etc.. sold in the market. I receive so many questions regarding which one is healthier, which one to use etc. I would like to give a quick idea about that.
As I have explained in the wheat page, a wheat grain has 3 parts – the outer barn, the endosperm and the inner germ. The barn is rich in fiber, the germ has proteins and vitamins and the endosperm is the starchy part. Whole wheat flour is made with the whole grain and includes all the parts. White flour, also commonly known as plain flour or all purpose flour is made only with the endosperm of the wheat berry. In India, this white flour is further bleached either naturally or using chemical bleaches and is commercially sold as ‘Maida’.
This maida flour is very fine and high in gluten making it perfect for making cakes, biscuits, parotta, naan, batura and many sweet dishes too. Since maida has only the starchy part of the wheat grain, it does not have much of nutritional benefits. Also there is a common notion that the addition of bleaching agents poses health risks, which however is not a proven fact. So my recommendation is that if you like dishes made with maida, you have always enjoy them in moderation.
Indian Recipes With Maida Flour
International Recipes With Maida (All Purpose) Flour
Cakes And Cookie With Maida (All Purpose) Flour