Savoury

Khapli Wheat Garlic Knots

For The Perfect Nutritious Upgrade

Khapli wheat turns a fairly indulgent garlic-knot bread recipe into something with more fibre and protein, though it does mean rethinking a couple of steps in the original bread-flour method. Garlic knots depend on a stretchy, well-developed dough to hold their shape once tied. Khapli, an ancient emmer wheat variety, is sold across the country by various brands, and this particular recipe uses Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta. It has a naturally lower gluten strength than bread flour, so the dough behaves differently at almost every stage, from hydration to shaping. The first adjustment when using khapli wheat flour is water. While a bread-flour dough can take its full amount of water upfront, khapli atta is best hydrated gradually. So, start with noticeably less water than the standard garlic knot recipe calls for, then add it in 1-tablespoon increments. The second adjustment is kneading time: khapli dough needs a couple of extra minutes of kneading to develop its gluten structure, and the classic windowpane test, stretching a piece of dough thin enough to see light through it, won't yield the same translucency as with bread flour. A better gauge here is the poke test: press a finger into the dough, and if it springs back slowly, it's ready to rise. Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta is specifically stone-chakki ground, a slower milling method that helps retain more of the grain's natural nutrients and its distinct nutty flavour, and the atta is sourced from khapli-growing farms in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Every batch undergoes more than 40 quality checks and is backed by an Aashirvaad Chakki Quality Certificate. Khapli wheat is naturally higher in protein and dietary fibre than regular wheat and has a lower glycaemic index, but it is not gluten-free, so those with gluten intolerance or a restricted diet should be mindful.