Rice flour is a common wheat flour substitute and can be incorporated in a diverse range of dishes, whether they’re sweet or savoury. You’ll often find it cropping up as an ingredient in different Asian cuisines, as it’s incredibly versatile and yields some fantastic results for your at-home baking or cooking. Rice flour is also gluten-free.
Rice flour is a common wheat flour substitute and can be incorporated in a diverse range of dishes, whether they’re sweet or savoury. You’ll often find it cropping up as an ingredient in different Asian cuisines, as it’s incredibly versatile and yields some fantastic results for your at-home baking or cooking. Rice flour is also gluten-free.
uses for rice flour
There are several types of rice flour, including white rice, brown rice and glutinous rice flour. White rice flour tends to be the most common and can typically be used interchangeably with brown rice flour. Glutinous rice flour provides a different texture and is most commonly used in various Asian desserts.
The different rice flour varieties can be used:
- As a thickening agent for soups or stews
- In coatings/batter for fried food
- In pastries, cakes, pancakes and other baked goods
- When making homemade mochi (glutinous rice flour)
glutinous rice flour
Also known as sticky rice or sweet rice flour, glutinous rice flour is made with long or short-grain rice that’s been cooked, dehydrated and then milled into a fine flour. When incorporated into a dish, this flour provides a chewy or sticky texture. Despite the name, glutinous rice flour is gluten-free – the name refers to the ‘gluey’ texture of the flour when cooked into desserts!
You may also see this flour referred to as mochiko. It is the key ingredient when making mochi and other tasty Asian desserts.
Need some cooking inspo to make the most of your pantry essentials? Check our recipes inspired by a range of Asian cuisines.
