Food & Health

Every Gujarati house has that one dabba made of steel. It is placed on the highest shelf from Dhanteras till Labh Pancham, filled with ghughra, but for some reason, it remains half empty even before the guests reach the house. We like that dabba. What we do not like is the way three weeks of flour and sugar affect our family members. Numbers speak volumes. As per the ICMR INDIAB study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in 2023, the prevalence of diabetes in India is 11.4%, while that of prediabetes is 15.3%. This amounts to about 101 million people with diabetes, along with 136 million prediabetic people in India, which means in most families in Vadodara, there is at least one person having an eye on his sugar level during Diwali festivities. And here is the positive side – you do not need to give up on nasta. You only need to replace the flour. What Is Khapli Wheat Flour? Khapli atta is atta derived from emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum). This is an ancient grain that has been cultivated by man since time immemorial in India. Unlike the current strains of wheat, this kind of wheat flour has a low glycemic index, high fiber content, and softer gluten that is not as elastic. Here is an interesting fact that you can share with your family in the next WhatsApp family group discussion. Common bread wheat accounts for almost 95 percent of all the wheat in the world today. The rest, ancient strains like the Khapli, are just about 5 percent. Why Diwali Is the Best Time to Switch to Khapli Wheat Flour? But festive foods are all about the numbers. One ghughra is fine. Eight ghughras a day, fifteen days in a row, is something else altogether. It is precisely when we look at Khapli health benefits that the GI becomes relevant. Glycemic index refers to the speed at which a food substance increases one's blood glucose levels when compared to pure glucose, which has a value of 100. Any value under 55 is considered low GI, which includes Khapli, with its GI of 45, whereas atta and maida, with GIs of 70 and 85 respectively, belong in the high category. In addition, there is also preliminary human evidence. A 2001 study conducted on 16 diabetics who substituted dicoccum wheat flour for the daily bread for six weeks had a decrease in total lipids and triglycerides as well as LDL cholesterol by almost 11%. Again, this is just 16 people, and we cannot take this as an absolute, but it does fit in nicely with the GI evidence above. Khapli vs Regular Atta vs Maida: The Festive Flour Face Off Factor Khapli Wheat Flour Regular Atta Maida Glycemic index (reported) About 45 (low) About 70 (high) About 85 (very high) Fibre per 100 g About 14 to 16 g About 12 g Very little (bran removed) Gluten Weak, softer Strong, stretchy Strong Taste Nutty, slightly earthy Neutral Neutral, plain Best Diwali use Sukhdi, ghughra, nankhatai, farsi puri Everyday rotis Honestly, you can skip it Gluten free? No No No   GI values change with how food is cooked, what it’s eaten with and how much you eat, so read these as a direction rather than a lab guarantee. 5 Traditional Diwali Recipes, Made Healthier With Khapli Sukhdi (Gol Papdi), the Easiest Swap of All Sukhdi only has three ingredients, so the flour matters a lot. Roast 1 cup of Khapli wheat flour in ½ cup of A2 cow ghee on a low flame for 8 to 10 minutes, until it smells like biscuits. Take it off the flame, mix in ¾ cup grated jaggery, spread on a greased thali and cut while warm. Khapli gives sukhdi a deeper, almost caramel like nuttiness. Most people who try it say they like it better than the original. Not kidding. Ghughra, Baked Instead of Deep Fried The recipe uses Khapli flour, ghee as moyan in the ratio of 2 tbsp/cup, and some water to form a hard dough. Filling includes shredded dry coconut, dry fruits, cardamom and a little jaggery. Close the dough and apply ghee on it before baking it at 180°C for 20-25 minutes. Frying oil is wasted. Crunchy texture is retained. Your ba will protest at most for one ghughra before secretly having another. Farsi Puri, the Maida Swap Your Chai Has Been Waiting For Farsi puri is usually pure maida. Swap it for Khapli flour, add ajwain, crushed jeera, black pepper and salt, and rub in ghee until the flour holds when pressed. Roll a little thicker than usual, prick with a fork, and air fry or bake till crisp. This one is the biggest GI jump in the whole list, because you’re going from roughly 85 down to roughly 45. Shakkarpara, Crunchy and Less Guilty Knead Khapli flour with ghee, a little milk and powdered jaggery. Roll, cut into diamonds, and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Kids love these, and because Khapli has more fibre, they feel full faster, so the dabba last longer. Win win. Nankhatai With a Cinnamon Twist Cream ½ cup softened ghee with ½ cup powdered jaggery or coconut sugar from our healthy sweeteners collection. Add 1 cup Khapli flour, a pinch of cardamom and a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon powder. Shape, top with a pistachio, and bake at 180°C for 15 to 18 minutes. Cinnamon and ghee together make your kitchen smell like Diwali morning. That’s not science, that’s just facts. Kitchen Tips for Working With Khapli Flour There is some difference in Khapli from regular atta. Knowing the difference will save you a lot of frustration. Allow extra time for resting. The dough will be softer because its gluten is weak, so allow it 20-30 minutes rest time under a wet towel before rolling. Use small amounts of water. Khapli requires a little extra amount of water compared to regular atta; however, adding it too quickly makes the dough sticky. Roll slightly thick dough. It is always difficult to roll thin dough. Thick rolled sheets of ghughra and puri turn out crispier, anyway. Roast it at low flame. Slowly roasted sukhdi and ladoos develop their nutty flavor and do not burn the bran. Minal Kapasi from Vadodara told us that the khapli flour bhakhri happens to be one of her favorite items from our store. It is a ghee laden, thick bhakhri dough and belongs to the family of ghughra and farsi puri, so if Khapli is good for bhakhri, it will suit your Diwali nasta. Bottom Line Khapli wheat flour is a very old type of emmer which has a GI value of 45, whereas atta has a GI value of 70 and maida has 85. Using Khapli wheat flour in sukhdi, ghughra, farsi puri, shakkarpara, and nankhatai will retain the original flavor while reducing the sugar level. This is not gluten free and jaggery and deep fried foods also increase the level of sugar. The NUVA provides stone grounded Khapli wheat flour at home delivery in Vadodara.