Potato Starch Substitutes

You’re halfway through making a creamy soup, perfect for a cozy dinner. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of potato starch to thicken soup, but you’re out! Find out a potato starch substitute, just in case.

You don’t have any at that key moment! What would your next move be to save the dish? There’s nothing like getting halfway through a new recipe and realising you’re missing a key ingredient like starch to bake with or thicken your sauce. The good news is that if you need a potato starch substitute in your recipes, you have options. We’ve compiled several useful potato starch substitutes in this article to help you prepare wonderful soups, stews, and sauces that everyone loves in the winter!

What is potato starch?

Let’s talk about what potato starch is and how it can assist you cook before we speak about what you can use instead of it.

In Japanese, potato starch is known as “Katakuri-ko.” Originally, it was starch powder manufactured from the rhizome of a plant called “katakuri.” In today’s world, starch powder manufactured from potatoes is mass-produced and marketed. In English, it’s known as potato starch.

Potato starch is exactly what its name implies. It’s a type of starch generated from crushed potatoes! The starch is a fine, powdery material once it has been extracted. Peeling the potatoes first creates the starch. It’s then turned into a slurry, which is then dried to create potato starch.

When it comes to taste, it doesn’t have a distinct flavor. To be honest, it’s a tasteless product. It does, however, work well as a texture enhancer in certain dishes.

How to use potato starch?

You must be wondering what kinds of recipes you can make with potato starch by now, right? To be honest, there’s a huge list of dishes you can incorporate this magical ingredient in!

Let’s look at the examples:

As a thickener: Potato starch is used to thicken all liquids, including broth, soup, stew, sauce, and gravy! Because the element has no personal taste or color, it has no effect on the look of your food. It also prevents your broth from becoming hazy once it’s been added to the boiling pot.
Noodles, bread items, processed meat, and cheese, for example, have a reduced shelf life as an additive. Potato starch is frequently used as an additive to preserve these foods. It gelatinizes these foods while preserving their inherent flavor and taste. It also adds to the texture of these products.
For dough: When baking the dough for your favorite cake, you’ll want to add extra moisture to the top. Without adding to the trouble, potato starch provides cake dough the glossy sheen it requires.
Potato flour substitute: Don’t have any potato flour on hand? As an alternative, potato starch can be used!

Simply combine it with rice flour in a 1:1 ratio to create your own potato flour.

Potato starch isn’t just for cooking. This flour is a component of adhesives and is also utilized in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. Isn’t it amazing?

5 potato starch substitutes you can use:

If you don’t have any potato starch on hand, here are a few alternatives. This collection also includes measurements and the best advice on how to appropriately substitute these ingredients. Enjoy!

Cornstarch

Cornstarch and potato starch are similar in that they are both starches. They’re virtually identical! It has a neutral taste and a glossy appearance and can be used as a thickening agent. If you’re using cornstarch instead of potato starch, just follow the 1:1 ratio and you’ll be OK.

Potato Flour

You’re mistaken if you assume potato flour and potato starch are the same thing! In terms of flavour, potato starch has a neutral profile, whereas potato flour has a potato-like flavor. The former is gluten-free and gives any meal a glossy touch. Though the components are different, potato flour is a fantastic substitute for potato starch since it can thicken gravy and give your meals a lovely texture. Potato flour can be used in place of potato starch at a 1:1 ratio.

Rice Flour

Rice flour has characteristics that are similar to potato flour, making it a viable substitute. It has a delicate texture and no flavor. Plus, because this flour is so adaptable, it goes well with a variety of different components. Add the rice flour at the start of the cooking process for the greatest results, and cook at a low temperature. As a replacement, use a 1:1 ratio.

Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot powder is a form of starch made from arrowroot plant tubers. This powder, like cornstarch, is excellent for gluten-free cooking. It’s also used in soups, puddings, and sauces as a thickening agent.

So the next time you’re out of potato starch, search in your cabinet for arrowroot powder. 1 tablespoon potato starch can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch.

Tapioca Starch

Tapioca starch is a viable alternative to potato starch. Gluten-free cassava flour is manufactured from the starch of the cassava root. These roots are dried and crushed into flour with a delicate texture. Tapioca starch is popular in sauces, soups, and stews because of its thick and chewy texture. It also has a slight sweetness to it, making it ideal for baking. Use one-fourth cup tapioca starch in place of two cups potato starch as a replacement.

Conclusion on finding a potato starch substitute:

You may use a variety of potato starch substitutes, so you shouldn’t be concerned if this particular ingredient isn’t available in your kitchen. You can still make whatever cuisine or delicacy you like as long as the items listed above are available.

The best part about these options is that they are simple to find because they are widely available, even in local stores, and they are also inexpensive. It won’t be difficult to use them. As a result, if you’re in a situation, any of these items should suffice.