What do you understand by potato starch? What is the best substitute for potato starch? or what are the health benefits of potato starch for your body?
For example, you are halfway preparing mushroom soup in your kitchen and you want to thicken the soup to your desired consistency. What would you add to this mushroom soup to make it thick and creamy?
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The best ingredient for this would be potato starch. It helps in making your recipe thick and creamy. But, what if you don’t have potato starch in your ingredients cabinet?
Would you head towards the superstores to buy potato starch? or would you search for the best potato starch substitute within your ingredients cabinet?
While you keep reading till the end of this article, you will find answers to all these questions and we will also talk about potato starch substitutes in gluten-free baking.
First, let us understand potato starch and its health benefits.
What is potato starch?
It is a starch extracted from potatoes by crushing the potatoes, washing, and drying to obtain in powdered form. It contains oval granules with minimal protein or fat.
Potato starch has gained popularity in various uses like cooking, baking, and fried foods due to fact that potato starch is gluten-free. People are also searching for the best substitute for potato starch since its popularity became expensive.
In European countries, potatoes are produced specifically for the production of potato starch. However, in the US, manufacturers source raw materials from other food processors to produce potato starch.
Uses of potato starch
Potato starch is used in both the manufacturing of food and non-food products. It is commonly used as a thickening agent, baking, cooking, and making gluten-free recipes. Potato starch is used in making various recipes like noodles, potato chips, hot dogs, helmipuuro, and papeda.
Potato starch is also used as adhesives like wallpaper fixings, paper coating, dextrin, drilling fluids, biodegradable plastics, gypsum binders, and gummed tape. In the earlier days of the mid-1930s, potato starch is used for color photography purposes.
Potato starch can also be used as gluten-free alternatives to flour in baking recipes like a muffin, quick bread recipes, and gluten-free flour mixes. There are also many substitutes for potato starch you can use in making crispy recipes.
What does potato starch do?
Various food devotees have included potato starch in their pantry because of its different culinary businesses.
It’s the ideal ingredients to thicken, soup, or sauce because of its high edge of boiling over. Additionally, potato starch assists with adding moisture when it gets added to the preparing batter.
Also, potato starch may be utilized as a texturizer for noodles, meat products, baked items, and pastry kitchen items. Blending potato starch into this food can also increase the shelf life of that food.
Health Benefits of Potato Starch
Starch is one of the three types of carbohydrates that provides energy to your body. There are many health benefits associated with potato starches and this may include;
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1. Improve insulin sensitivity
Recent studies proved that potato starch can increase the sensitivity of insulin.
A research paper published in the Journal of Nutrition (1) states that consumption of approximately 15-30 grams of resistant potato starch by obese males has significantly increased insulin sensitivity as compared to people who have not consumed resistant potato starch.
The increase in insulin sensitivity can play important role in minimizing the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity.
2. Can improve digestive and colon health
A resistant potato starch begins to ferment and feeds healthy bacteria living inside the colon by converting them into short-chain fatty acids called butyrate.
Butyrate can help in reducing the level of inflammation in the colon and minimizing the risk of getting digestive issues. It can also help in reducing the risk of inflammation issues like colorectal cancer, constipation, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
3. Aids in weight loss
Resistant potato starch can help you in keeping fuller and feel less hungry.
Recent studies published in the Biomedical Nutrition Journal (2) found that eating 30 grams of resistant potato starch every day for 6 weeks can help in reducing the hormones that trigger hunger.
A diet consisting of potato starch can help you keep full for a longer time, ultimately helping the efforts of your weight loss journey.
10 Best Substitute for Potato Starch
Are you enjoying reading? Hope you understood what is potato starch and learned about its health benefits.
Now let us explore more on the substitute for potato starch. This can help you in an emergency when you need potato starch but your grocery store is out of stock.
Here is the list of the 10 best substitute for potato starch.
- Corn starch
- Arrowroot powder
- Tapioca starch
- Potato flour
- Rice flour
- Mochi rice flour
- Coconut flour
- Wheat flour
- Oat flour
- Water chestnut flour
1. Corn starch
Corn starch is my best substitute for potato starch and the most popular thickener.
Corn starch, also known as corn flour, is a product extracted from the endosperm of corn. It can be used in many ways as culinary, industrial purposes, household, and thickening agents.
Corn starch is a gluten-free starch and is commonly used in making gravy, chowder, custard, fruit desserts, and cakes. You should use a ratio of 1:1 to replace potato starch and add the same amount of water you use while adding potato starch.
2. Arrowroot powder
Arrowroot powder, also known as arrowroot flour or arrowroot starch is a gluten-free and grain-free powder extracted from a tropical plant called Maranta arundinacea.
It is recommended to replace 1 tablespoon of potato starch with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder. This can create a great potato starch substitute that can be used in any recipe.
Arrowroot powder can also be used as a corn starch substitute in western countries where people have developed allergies or sensitivities for corn starch.
Arrowroot starch can be used in baking, roasting, frying, and many other recipes like sweet potato gnocchi, orange glazed salmon, triple berry compote, and citrus ginger sauce to name a few.
3. Tapioca starch
Tapioca starch, commonly known a tapioca flour is a product of crushed pulp of cassava root. Cassava is a shrub native to South America and the Caribbean.
Tapioca starch is also one of the best substitute for potato starch and it is commonly used in Brazilian treat Pão de Queijo. Tapioca starch is lighter than potato starch and requires adding more amount to get a similar density of potato starch.
For a thickening purpose, you can replace 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch with 1 tablespoon of potato starch (1:1 ratio) and for cake or bread making, you can add about 25-50 percent or 1/4 more than the recipe itself.
4. Potato flour
Potato flour is a finely milled flour used as a substitute for potato starch in a 1:1 ratio. This adds potato flavor and moisture to the baked food products.
To make potato flour, you should follow the steps including:
- wash and peel potatoes properly
- slice potatoes as thin as possible
- place sliced potato on a flat plate
- dry them in a sunlight
- turnover the slice after 30-45 minutes for equal drying
- keep sliced potatoes under sunlight for about 3-4 hours to dry completely
- check its dryness by pressing them with your forefingers and thumb
- if it is dried, grind sliced potato into fine powder
- sieve the ground powder and store it in airtight containers
5. Rice flour
Rice flour, a gluten-free product, is also the best substitute for potato starch and made from finely ground raw rice.
The procedure to make rice flour is very simple involving grinding 1-2 cups of uncooked rice using a blender to produce fine powders.
Rice flour can be used in baked products and frying purposes but it is considered best for soups and stews. It is recommended for 2 tablespoons of rice flour in combination with a cup of liquid for a perfect potato starch substitute.
6. Mochi rice flour
Mochi rice flour, also known as glutinous rice flour obtained from ground sweet white rice. It is more glutinous than rice flour since mochi rice flour has a slight difference in texture and flavor.
My recommended mochi flour is Japanese sweet rice flour which will be available in your grocery stores and I have shared an affiliate link here if you are interested in the best substitute for potato starch.
7. Coconut flour
Coconut flour is made from a lump of soft dried coconut meat which serves as the best substitute for potato starch.
To make the coconut flour, the steps may include:
- drying of coconut pulp obtained from squeezing coconut milk from coconut meat
- bake coconut pulp for at least 45 minutes until it is dry and no moisture at all
- blend using food processors for at least 1-2 minutes until the powdery form is achieved
- store coconut flour in airtight containers
As per the experience, almond flour can be your best alternative for coconut flour with similar texture, taste, and flavor. Other substitutes for coconut flour may include cassava flour, soy flour, rice flour, and flax meal.
Recent studies found that the fats present in coconut can minimize pores which attract dirt and gets your skin damaged. It can also help in preventing acne and minimize pores on your skin.
8. Wheat flour
A wheat flour, obtained from finely ground wheat is all-purpose flour but it is not a perfect substitute for potato starch. You have to use double the amount of wheat flour to gain consistency as same as potato starch.
Wheat flour is not a gluten-free product and it is commonly used for baking purposes, to thicken sauces, make pancakes, and also used as a coating for other recipes.
Nutrition data states that wheat flour is rich in vitamins, riboflavin, folate and it is an excellent source of minerals like calcium, iron, and proteins.
9. Oat flour
Oat flour is made from a rolled oats and it is rich in minerals like phosphorus, manganese, copper, biotin, and magnesium.
Like other potato starch substitutes, oat flour can be used in a 1:1 ratio to replace potato starch. It is gluten-free with nutty and sweet flavors.
In a recent exploration, oat flour gained its popularity in gluten-free cooking and it is easy to make at your home. To make oat flour, you just require to roll or crush oats into fine powders using available materials at home.
10. Water chestnut flour
My final recommended substitute for potato starch is a water chestnut flour made from dried and ground water chestnut.
A simple step is involved in making water chestnut flour:
- boil the nuts
- peel the nuts
- ground the nuts into flour
The flour obtained by grinding the water chestnut is starch and it is commonly used as a thickening agent and to make batters for deep frying.
Water chestnut flour is the most suitable substitute for potato starch with sweet, smoky flavors, and use water for the desired consistency.
Potato starch substitutes in gluten-free baking
As discussed earlier, out of my 10 recommended substitute for potato starch, the following are my top 3 potato starch substitutes in gluten-free baking.
- rice flour
- arrowroot
- tapioca starch
Tips in using starch
- Before the addition of starch to your recipe, mix it well in equal amounts of cold water to make a paste and avoid lumps formation
- It is not recommended to boil a liquid containing starch to avoid slimy sauce
- Starch gives a glistening sheen to the foods making it appear like artificial
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What can I use in place of potato starch?
My recommendation for the substitute for potato starch will be corn starch. It is a gluten-free starch with a similar texture and flavor to that of potato starch. The ratio to replace potato starch is also the same amount (1:1).
Q2. Can I use corn starch in place of potato starch?
Potato starch has a bland flavor which adds no unwanted flavors to your recipe. You can use cornstarch in place of potato starch at a ratio of 1:1 and it serves as the best substitute for potato starch.
Q3. Can I use plain flour instead of potato starch?
If you don’t care for the benefits of starch, you can use plain flour instead of potato starch but you have to adjust since plain flour absorbs less water than potato flour and your desired consistency can be different.
Q4. What does potato starch do in baking?
Potato starch is a starch obtained from crushing, washing, and drying potatoes which is fine and white powdery. Potato starch helps in thickening baked goods, texturize, and increase your recipe’s crispiness.
Conclusion
While making recipes like pie, cookies, stews, soups, and puddings, the most preferred is potato starch. But if you are out of stock and you need it immediately, then, all the above-mentioned substitutes for potato starch will help you a lot.
With these best alternatives, you can also make your recipes gluten-free without altering the texture and flavor that you prefer.
Hopefully, I presume that this article could have helped you a lot in finding the best substitute for potato starch.
