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On the nine days of Chaitra Navratri, devotees practise a vrat, or fast, during which they abstain from eating grains. Refraining from eating rice and wheat around this time is customary, but other grains tend to gain popularity. Buckwheat or kuttu is a common substitute for these grains. This seed, which resembles a grain but is gluten-free, is widely used across India. It's employed to make a variety of foods for the Navratri fast. Buckwheat flour is readily available at grocery stores. Nonetheless, there is always some scepticism around its purity. For this reason, making your own kuttu atta at home is highly recommended. These tips will make the process much simpler.
Buy buckwheat groats of the excellent grade
Picking buckwheat that is of higher quality is strongly recommended. This is an investment that is well worth making. Because of the fine standards, the food will have a better taste and more nutrients per serving. It is for this reason that it is best to opt for organic buckwheat products that have been certified.
Whole buckwheat seeds, Image Source: Pexels
Measure the buckwheat groats
Buckwheat groats that have been dehulled are the only component required to produce your own kuttu ka atta at home. Four cups of flour can be made from about three cups of buckwheat groats.
Use a high-power blender
Put approximately two cups of unprocessed buckwheat groats into either the dry or the wet container of your high-powered blender. A coffee grinder can also be utilised successfully; however, you will need to process about a third of a cup at a time using the coffee grinder.
Continue to process until fine flour is produced. This could take up to two minutes, sometimes even longer. Transfer into a jar. Continue the procedure until you obtain the required quantity of kuttu ka atta.
Use a sieve
Process till you get an extremely fine flour. If you want to ensure that it is super smooth, all you have to do is put the ground flour through a sieve with a very small mesh to remove any larger pieces that were not completely processed.
Buckwheat flour, Image Source: iStock
Colour of flour
The sort of buckwheat groats you grind into flour will determine the colour of the finished flour product. Buckwheat groats that have been hulled will result in whiter flour. The flour will be darker if you use buckwheat groats that haven't been hulled. The hue of the flour that you make can change depending on the sort of groats that you use. Buckwheat is typically white with tiny brown speckles. When blended, it can, however, change into shades of pale brown or pure white.
Storage Tips
Buckwheat seeds can be kept for up to a year when stored in an airtight container in a cold, dry place. Kuttu ka atta or buckwheat flour can be stored in the fridge for up to three and a half months if kept in an airtight container.
