Non-Wheat Flour & Thickener

This non-wheat flours are made from grains or nuts that are finely ground to powdery consistency. They're used to make breads and other baked goods, but they also serve to thicken stews and sauces and to coat food about to be fried.

The most popular thickening agents in Asian cooking are corn flour, tapioca flour and potato flour. Mung bean flour, water chestnut flour, lotus root and arrowroot are favored for clear sauces. Chick-pea flour is used to make batters. Rice flour is used as a thickener, and for rice papers, dumplings and cakes.

Corn flour

This fine white powder, made from corn (maize) is a useful thickening agent for sauces, soups and casseroles.

Rice Flour

Most finely milled than ground rice, this is also known as rice powder. The texture is similar to that of corn flour. Rice flour is used for thickening sauces, and to make rice papers and the dough for dumplings. It is often used to make sticky Asian cakes and sweets, but because rice flour does not contain gluten, the cakes made with it are rather flat. Rice flour can be combined with wheat flour to make bread, but this produces a crumbly loaf.

Chick-pea Flour

This very fine flour is also called gram flour, or besan. Mainly used in India, where it originated, it also plays a role in Malayan  cooking, thanks to Indian immigrants who introduced it.
 

Soya Flour

This is a finely-ground, high-protein flour made from the soy bean. It is used as a thickener in a wide range of sauce and soup, and is often mixed with other flours such as wheat flour to make bread and pastries. It adds a pleasant nutty flavor.
 

Buckwheat Flour

This is a low-gluten gray flour that's great in pancakes & pastas.

 

Chapatti Flour

This is a blend of wheat & malted barley flours used to make chapattis. Look for it in Indian markets.
 

Instant-Blending Flour = instant flour = quick-mixing flour

You can mix this granular all-purpose flour into liquids without getting many lumps, so it's perfect for making gravies and batters.