Flatbreads are a staple part of Indian cuisine – no matter by what name it is called.

Each cuisine uses different flours to make their speciality flatbreads. Akki roti in Karnataka is made with rice flour. Rotis in Gujarat are made with wheat flour, and Kulchas in the North are made with refined flour.

Each of these single grain flours adds a healthy attribute to your food. However, it is possible to enhance your flatbreads by using multigrain atta to make rotis.

Just adding millet flour or other whole grain flour, takes the nutritional value higher.

Health Benefits to Using Multigrain Atta for Rotis

Multigrain Roti with Wheat, Ragi, Bajra Besan, and Oats

This multigrain roti is easy to make at home as all the ingredients are easily available.

This multigrain atta will yield soft rotis that are rich in Iron, Protein, Vitamin B, and Fibre. This roti is especially useful for people looking to manage their weight.

Multigrain Roti with Millets, Soybean, Amaranth, and Chickpea Flour

People with diabetes are cautious about what they eat. Too many carbohydrates are not suitable for them in controlling sugar levels.

In this case, use a multigrain flour made out of Ragi, Bajra, Jowar, Soybean, Wheat, Amaranth, and Chickpea to make rotis. The addition of millets makes the digestion process slower and keeps the sugar levels at proper levels.

This multigrain roti provides a healthy mix of carbohydrates, iron, vitamins, and minerals essential to remain fit for all but especially for people with diabetes.

Making Soft Multigrain Roti at Home

You can use any combination of flours to make multigrain atta at home.

Depending on the ratio you use to make the multigrain flour, your roti will be turn out soft like normal chapatis or chewy like rotlas.

Out of all the combinations available to make soft rotis, there are a few tried and test methods that always give out a soft outcome.

First Method

The first method uses water – This method works best with multigrain atta that has a higher ratio of wheat to other grains and millets. The gluten content in wheat, when combined with water, creates a sticky dough which yields soft rotis.

To the required portion of multigrain flour, add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil and mix well. To this mixture pour in water gradually till all the atta comes together into a soft, pliable dough. If the prepared dough is not soft enough, keep kneading. This helps in activating the gluten. Let the dough rest for a few minutes before rolling them out.

Cook these multigrain rotis on a medium flame after rolling them to thin sheets. Applying a bit of ghee or butter to the hot rotis increases the appeal of these healthy flatbreads.

Second Method

The second method uses yoghurt. Instead of water, you mix in yoghurt into the dough and then gradually add water if required. The dough should be kneaded to bring out its softness. Resting the dough allows the lactic acid in the yoghurt to activate and make the dough softer.

However, the shelf life of multigrain rotis made out of curd is lesser than those made with water.

When using multigrain flour to make rotis which contains more of hardy millets instead of the softer wheat or rice; the rotis although soft, will be chewier in texture.

In either method, the prepared dough can be stored overnight in a refrigerator and still be fresh the next day.

If you need to store the dough for a longer time, then it should be frozen. When needed, thaw out the required portion of the dough before rolling it out.

Conclusion

Making a multigrain dough to make soft chapatis is easy because the ingredients needed are readily available. It doesn’t matter if you are using only two different grains or using multiple grains, the only tip to keep in mind is to knead the dough thoroughly. Kneading brings out the elasticity in the dough and makes the resulting rotis soft.