Beyond everyday wheat and gram flour, South Asian cooking draws on a wide range of specialty flours from semolina for halwa and upma, to naturally gluten-free millet flours used across regional cuisines and increasingly popular for gluten-free cooking.
Got questions? We've got answers.
Semolina is a coarser, granulated product made from wheat, different from finely milled flour — it's used for dishes like halwa, upma and idli rather than roti.
Yes — Ragi (finger millet), Bajra (pearl millet) and Jowar (sorghum) are all naturally gluten-free grains. Check individual packaging for cross-contamination information if you have celiac disease.
Sattu is roasted gram flour, traditionally mixed with water, lemon and spices to make a refreshing drink (sattu paani), and also used in some regional sweets and savoury dishes.
Rice Flour is made from ground rice, is naturally gluten-free, and has a different texture and binding property than wheat flour — commonly used for dosas, rice cakes and certain desserts.
Yes — Bajra and Jowar rotis are traditional regional staples, though the dough often requires a different technique than wheat roti due to the lack of gluten.
Makki ka Atta is coarsely ground corn flour, traditionally used to make makki di roti, a specialty flatbread popular in Punjabi cuisine.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place; millet flours can have a shorter shelf life than wheat flour, so check individual packaging and use within the recommended timeframe.
No — Semolina (Sooji/Rava) is made from wheat and contains gluten.
Fine rice flour is typically used for smoother batters and desserts, while coarser rice flour may be used for specific textured dishes — check the recipe you're making.
Yes — many people blend millet flours with wheat flour to ease the transition, as pure millet dough can be more difficult to roll than wheat dough.
Jowar flour is also used in some regional flatbreads, porridges and increasingly in gluten-free baking.
Millet flours in particular can be more prone to rancidity due to their oil content — check individual packaging for best-before dates and store properly.
No — Corn Flour (Makki ka Atta) in South Asian cooking refers to ground corn/maize flour used for flatbreads, which is different from cornstarch (a fine thickening starch used in Western cooking).
Yes — all the flours in this category are naturally vegan.
Ragi flour is commonly used to make a simple porridge or flatbread (Ragi roti) — check individual product packaging or recipe resources for beginner-friendly methods.