Stir-Fry Substitute

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My daughter loves Chinese food but is allergic to corn. Every stir-fry recipe I see calls for cornstarch as a thickener. Is it okay to substitute arrowroot for the cornstarch, and if and so, in what proportions? —50.C., Omaha, Nebraska Planning meals effectually family allergies tin can be a challenge! But you lot're in luck—arrowroot is an ideal substitute for cornstarch in stir-chips. Look for information technology in the aforementioned alley where the cornstarch is located in your grocery store.
Arrowroot and cornstarch have like thickening capabilities. By and large, add together 2-3 teaspoons to a cup of liquid for a medium-thick sauce. Arrowroot gives a fiddling higher gloss to sauces than cornstarch, which is more desirable than the cloudy wait that comes from a sauce thickened with flour. Like cornstarch, arrowroot is flavorless, then it should be acceptable to the entire family.
Arrowroot is non recommended as a replacement for cornstarch in dairy-based sauces because information technology becomes slimy when mixed with milk.
If you lot programme to utilise arrowroot in place of cornstarch in other recipes, proceed a few boosted things in mind. Arrowroot thickens better than cornstarch in an acidic liquid, such equally a citrus sauce for a dessert. So exist sure to commencement with a little less arrowroot than the amount of cornstarch called for in a recipe.
Arrowroot can also be used to thicken gravy, but the gravy will not hold well, nor will it reheat well. So y'all should set up arrowroot gravy no more than ten minutes prior to serving. Or utilize flour as the thickening agent.
To replace cornstarch with flour, apply twice as much all-purpose flour. Mix the flour with some of the liquid in the recipe to make a slurry before heating.

Stir-Fry Recipe»

Originally Published: July 16, 2007