Flour Power

In the side-lanes of Mumbai, you might chance upon this sight - a woman waiting at the grinding mill.

This lady has bought whole grain from the market, removed the stones and chaff, and has now brought it to the local flour mill for grinding. She's sitting there, watching the proceedings and making sure every grain is accounted for. And of course, this way, she can decide how much bran to keep. So chappaties taste different in each household, with varying textures and thicknesses.

I used to buy Pilsbury flour, but my mum's chappatis were always better than mine, so like her, I switched to the local flour mill too (hers are still better, though!).

Before the advent of flour mills, women ground wheat at home, in circular stone grinders called chakkis. Not an easy job, as you can imagine, but good exercise for the waist!

As a matter of fact, there's a yoga posture called Chakki Chalana Asana (Turning the Mill). It is specially effective for women - it tones the pelvis and waist, helps relieve lower back pain, and is recommended as an effective pre-natal and post-natal practice. Want to try it? :)

- Deepa