Maida is commonly referred to as all-purpose flour or refined flour in English.
Maida is a finely milled, refined, and bleached wheat flour, widely used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine for making various dishes like naan, paratha, samosas, and sweets. Because of its fine texture and lack of bran, it results in soft and pliable dough. However, it's essential to be aware that maida is low in fiber and nutrients compared to whole wheat flour.
Here's a breakdown of the common English terms:
- All-purpose flour: This is the most common and widely understood term. It indicates that the flour is suitable for a variety of baking and cooking applications.
- Refined flour: This term highlights the processing that the wheat undergoes to create maida, specifically the removal of the bran and germ.
- White flour: This is a more general term that can also refer to other types of refined flour, but it is sometimes used to describe maida.
In summary, while "all-purpose flour" is the most prevalent and readily understood English term for maida, "refined flour" provides a more accurate description of its processed nature.
