Why we'll never use maida

Ask anyone what makes a roti feel light and fluffy at a restaurant, and the honest answer is often the same: maida. Refined white flour is cheap, soft and forgiving. It's also stripped of the bran and germ — the parts of the wheat that actually do you good.

At Thepla House by Tejal's Kitchen, we made a decision in 2018 that we've never gone back on: 100% whole-wheat atta, no maida, ever. It isn't the easy choice in a commercial kitchen, but it's the only one that's true to how we cook at home in Mumbai.

What exactly is maida?

Maida is wheat that's been milled and refined until only the starchy endosperm is left. The fibre-rich bran and the nutrient-dense germ are removed, then the flour is bleached to a bright, uniform white. The result is soft and stretchy — perfect for fluffy naans and bakery items — but nutritionally hollow.

What you lose with maida

Milling wheat into maida removes most of its fibre, along with much of the iron, B-vitamins and slow-release energy. What's left digests fast and spikes blood sugar quickly — the opposite of the steady, satisfying meal home food is meant to be.

• Up to 75% of the wheat's fibre is removed
• Iron, magnesium and B-vitamins are stripped with the bran and germ
• Faster digestion means quicker sugar spikes and crashes
• Less of the nutty, wheaty flavour real atta gives

If we wouldn't make it that way at home, we won't make it that way for you.

Why whole wheat wins

Whole-wheat atta keeps the whole grain intact — fibre, minerals and a deeper, nuttier flavour. It's what gives a methi thepla its body and its keeping quality, and it's why our food sits lighter even when you go back for seconds. Paired with sunflower oil instead of palm oil and zero preservatives, a whole-wheat thepla becomes genuine ghar ka khana, not junk dressed up as comfort food.

• More fibre and slow-release energy that keeps you full
• Naturally retains iron and B-vitamins
• A fuller, more home-style flavour and better keeping quality
• Travels and stores far better — which is why our travel packs last 7+ days

It's a small, stubborn choice — and it's the whole point of "Junk the Junk Food." Every thepla, rotli and farsan we serve across our Mumbai kitchens starts with whole-wheat atta, because real home food has nothing to hide.