Bajra, jowar, ragi, makki and jaun atta: a guide to millet and grain flours

Long before wheat became the everyday roti, North and West Indian kitchens cooked with bajra, jowar, makki and jaun, and the South with ragi. We grind all of them fresh on our stone chakki in Gurgaon, after you order. Here is what each one is, what to cook with it, and how to handle a dough that behaves very differently from wheat.

The flours at a glance

Bajra atta (pearl millet)

The winter roti of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat. Earthy and slightly bitter-sweet; traditionally eaten hot with ghee, gur or white butter. Bajra atta

Jowar atta (sorghum)

Milder and slightly sweet. Maharashtra's jowar bhakri, and a gentle first millet if you are new to them. Jowar atta

Ragi atta (finger millet, nachni)

Reddish-brown and nutty. Used for ragi roti, dosa, cheela and porridge, and in baking. Ragi atta

Makki atta (maize, corn)

Bright yellow, sweetish and coarse — the flour for makki di roti with sarson da saag. Makki atta · Makki and bajra roti recipes

Jaun atta (barley)

Mild and slightly nutty. Barley is not a millet and it does contain gluten; it is often mixed with wheat atta for rotis or used for sattu-style drinks. Jaun atta

Oats and rice atta

Oats atta for cheela, rotis mixed with wheat, and baking. Rice atta (chawal ka atta) for rice rotis, akki roti, pathiri and crisp coatings.

Why millet dough is different

Wheat dough stretches because of gluten. Bajra, jowar, ragi, makki and rice have none, so the dough cracks if you roll it like a wheat roti. Three ways around it:

• Use hot water. Knead with hot water — this is how jowar and bajra bhakris are made. The warmth helps the flour bind.
• Knead a small batch at a time. Knead each roti's dough just before you make it; it dries out quickly.
• Pat, don't roll. Pat the roti out on your palm, or between two sheets of butter paper or a plastic sheet.
• Or mix with wheat. One part millet to three parts wheat atta rolls almost like a normal roti.

Gluten: please read

Bajra, jowar, ragi, makki and rice have no gluten of their own. But they are ground in the same mill as our wheat, so we cannot promise they are free of traces of gluten. If you must avoid gluten strictly, please message us before ordering.

Keep them fresh

Millet flours have more natural oil than wheat atta, so they lose their freshness sooner — bajra especially can turn bitter. Buy small packs, keep them airtight in a cool place (or the fridge in summer), and use within two to three weeks. More in how to store fresh atta.

Prefer them mixed?

Our 10-grain multigrain atta already blends jowar, bajra, ragi, makka, jaun and oats with Sharbati wheat.

Questions people ask

Which millet atta is easiest to start with?

Jowar. It is mild, and its rotis are soft when made with hot water.

Why does my bajra roti crack?

Bajra has no gluten. Knead with hot water, knead only one or two rotis' worth at a time, and pat the roti out by hand rather than rolling it.

Is jaun (barley) atta gluten free?

No. Barley contains gluten.

Can I mix millet atta with wheat atta?

Yes. Start with one part millet to three parts wheat atta.

See all single-grain flours

Updated 2026-11-09 · TransVeda, Udyog Vihar Phase 3, Gurgaon