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 Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti

Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti, which is healthier?


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Roti is a staple food in Indian cuisine. It is a flatbread made using various flours but, generally the term roti is used specifically for the one made with whole wheat flour dough. India being a diverse country, each region has their own specialty. Rotis are nourishing, healthy and filling. Generally served with sabzi, they can also be relished with other accompaniments like pickle, curd or jaggery.

Lehsuni Bajra Aur Kaddu ki Roti

Lehsuni Bajra Aur Kaddu ki Roti

With people adopting a healthy lifestyle, there is a sudden awareness of millets and superfoods, everyone is questioning their choices and have questions about how to incorporate them in their regular diet. When it comes to staple food, people hardly have a choice and find it difficult to make a change. 

And there is often a debate on which one is healthier Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti and why?

Both, Bajra and Whole Wheat rotis are equally healthy. Bajra (pearl millet) just got sideline but, consuming millets has been an age old practice in India. 

3 Pros of Bajra Roti

1. One bajra has more fiber (3.6.8 g) than wheat flour roti (1.9 g). More Fiber means that you feel fuller for a longer time as the food takes more time to digest and not raise your blood sugar level too fast. That’s why it takes more time to eat a Bajra roti versus a whole wheat roti. 

2. One bajra roti has more protein (3.7 g) as compared to one wheat flour roti (2.0 g). In fact the protein content is nearly double than that of whole wheat roti. Protein is a key to manage wear and tear of all the cells of the body and bone and muscle development.

Stuffed Bajra Roti ( Gluten Free Recipe )

Stuffed Bajra Roti ( Gluten Free Recipe )

3. Bajra Roti has also more Iron content (2.6 mg per roti) than whole wheat flour (0.8 mg per roti). Iron is what keeps Anaemia at bay and helps in supplying oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body thus avoiding fatigue. 

3 Pros of Whole Wheat Roti

1. One whole wheat roti has lower carbs (11.6 g) compared to one bajra roti (21.6 g). Those on a low carb diet or wanting to cut carbs consumption down, would prefer to have Whole wheat roti. But it is very likely that you may have only 2 Bajra Rotis for a meal against 2 to 3 whole wheat rotis. So make your choice and include both alternatively with the quantity that suits your caloric requirement. 

2. Whole wheat flour can be eaten year round while its suggested to skip Bajra Roti in hot summers as it brings up the body temperature. In fact, Bajra Roti is consumed a lot in winter. 

Whole Wheat Bhakri

Whole Wheat Bhakri

3. One whole wheat roti is lower in calories (55 calories) against one bajra roti (116 calories). But remember that it’s the quality of the calories which is important and Bajra is yet super healthy. 

Bajra Roti or Whole Wheat Roti for Diabetics

Bajra has a higher glycemic index at 71 while whole wheat is about 54. This would make you think that Bajra is not good but then you have to look at the other plus points in Bajra which is its high fiber count which pushes the glycemic load down. So Bajra roti can be consumed in moderation for Diabetics.   Whole wheat roti can be safely consumed by Diabetics as the have a low Glycemic Index and will not shoot up your blood sugar levels rapidly.   

Given below are the recipes of Bajra Roti and Whole Wheat Roti which is a must to include in your Indian diet and having a healthy lifestyle. See here why Bajra Flour and Whole Wheat flour are good for you.

Whole Wheat Roti Or Bajra Roti



1.

Recipe Image
rotla recipe | bajra rotla | Gujarati style bajra rotla | healthy pearl millet roti | with amazing 17 images. rotla also called bajra rotla is a Gujarati style bajra rotla. Though bajra is grown only in certain parts of Rajasthan, bajra rotlas are relished all over the country. Thickly rolled bajra rotla are cooked over "kanda" (cow dung cakes) in the villages. That is the authentic way of preparing them because it imparts a smoked flavour to the Bajra roti. This bajra rotla is a very famous recipe from Gujarat. The bajra rotla are thickly rolled, cooked on a tava and then roast over open flame till brown spots appear. Traditionally white butter also known as makhan is smeared on it or if that is not available you can use ghee. Knead the dough with warm water as the dough become pliable and easy to knead and roll. This helps in getting pearl millet roti a soft texture. Bajra Roti is a traditional Indian flatbread made with bajra or black pearl millet flour making it extremely nutritious. Bajra flour is high in protein and is a complete protein for vegetarians when combined with dal. So as a Vegetarian, include bajra in your diet. If you are looking for a gluten-free option, this is an ideal recipe . I remember, my grandmother would roll the rotla using her palm and cook it on a earthen clay tava on a chulha, which would give bajra rotla a smoky flavor. I would like to share some important tips to make the perfect bajra rotla. 1. To make Gujarati style bajra rotla, take a portion of the dough and shape into a round ball. The dough ball should be smooth without any cracks. If required, you can apply some water on your palms and then shape. 2. Serve the Bajra rotla immediately smeared with white butter or ghee. If it cools down, it will feel very hard and dry. Bajra roti, lahsun ki chutney and onions is a combo!! Although absolutely simple to make, these rotis are delicious! Take care to make the Gujarati style bajra rotlas as soon as the dough is kneaded, as the dough tends to harden quickly, making it difficult to roll. With practice and patience, you can surely master the art of rolling the rotlas uniformly and making them puff up. You can also serve rotlas with Baingan Bharta, Khatta Urad Dal and Red Chilli Thecha, as it makes a complete meal combo and is sure to attract everybody. Enjoy how to make rotla recipe | bajra rotla | Gujarati style bajra rotla | healthy pearl millet roti | with detailed step by step photos and video below.

2.

Recipe Image
phulka recipe | whole wheat chapatis | Indian phulka | with amazing 16 pictures. Phulkas also known as Chapatis, is the daily bread for millions of Indians. No meal is complete without Phulkas and we show you easy it is to make them. Phulkas are Indian flatbreads made from whole wheat flour making them always healthy. Phulkas are called so because they swell up with steam while being cooked. They are cooked first on a dry hot tava, then held directly over a flame where they "swell" ("phulao" in hindi) with steam to the point of bursting. Procedure of making chapatti really easy and quick. Take whole wheat flour in a parat, add oil which will help making the chapatti soft, add salt and mix well. Further, add water and knead into a soft dough. The dough for phulka should be soft and not stiff as for puris. Also if the dough is very soft it will be sticky and you will be unable to roll. Keep the kneaded dough aside covered with a soft cloth or bowl for 15 to 20 minutes. Then divide and roll into a thin roti, cook on a tava and then open flame until it puffs up. Don’t cook on the open flame for too long or else the phulka will burn and become hard. The phulka dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. The best way to refrigerate the dough is to lightly oil the dough and the bowl. The bowl you are storing the dough should be spacious and should be covered tightly to prevent it from drying. See why we think phulka, chapatis are healthy ? Made from Whole wheat flour which is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food. Whole wheat flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. Serve Phulkas hot with a dollop of ghee. Phulkas are light and are great to serve for lunch as well as dinner with a subzi or dal. Enjoy phulka recipe | whole wheat chapatis | Indian phulka | Given below are detailed step by step photos

Reviews

Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti
 on 10 Jun 21 03:17 PM
5

Calories count.1 roti vs 1 bajri ka rotla (not roti, gujrati word) for weight loss
Tarla Dalal
10 Jun 21 07:46 PM
   Thanks for the feedback !!! Keep reviewing recipes and articles you loved.
Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti
 on 04 Sep 20 03:41 PM
5

Reduce fat bajra or wheat plz tell me?
Tarla Dalal
11 Sep 20 08:30 AM
   Bajra has approx. 5 g of fat per 100 g whereas wheat has approx. 1.5 g fat per 100 g. However the quantum consumed and other nutrients are also to be considered while adding them to your diet.
Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti
 on 16 Jul 20 10:33 PM
5

You have mentioned 1 bajra roti to have more protein than 1 wheat roti while a bajra roti is much heavier. Wheat has more protein than bajra per 100 gram.
Tarla Dalal
20 Jul 20 03:09 PM
   True, but Bajra rotis are usually thick when compared to wheat flour rotis / phulkas, so more the amount of flour used per roti and hence the higher protein content in bajra roti.
Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti
 on 24 Feb 20 02:23 PM
4

Tarla Dalal
29 Feb 20 01:08 PM
   Dear Dr, thanks for the feedback.
Whole Wheat Roti or Bajra Roti
 on 15 Jun 18 01:07 PM
5

Due to my studies i cannot make out time to cook. I can make tea coffee n bread toast, but nothing more then this. My mother alway insist me to learn cooking. Now my marriage is fixed in Dec 2018. I started with making wheat chapati/ roti after going through this article. In first attempt I did soft rotis, but not exactly round. Happy with it. I think tarladalal.com is the perfect site to learn cooking. Will definitely try subzis, dosas, sandwiches and other recipes of Tarla mam.
Tarla Dalal
20 Oct 19 12:52 PM
   Nivedita, thanks for the the lovely review. We would love to know which recipes you have tried and please review them.