Asian cooks use many interesting flours and starches to impart just the right texture to foods. This the latest one that I tried. The white granules are made from fresh water chestnuts that are ground and then dried. Sold in 8- ounce paper boxes at Chinese markets, the starch is usually labeled "Water Chestnut Flour." The starch is not soft and fine like other starches, but instead is rather chalky feeling and tasting. Pound the little bits in a mortar and pestle before mixing it with other ingredients, or it may not blend in well.
What can you do with water chestnut flour? It thickens just like other starches, such as cornstarch and tapioca starch. However, it imparts a crisper coating for deep frying. I read about this starch in a Susanna Foo cookbook and had to give it a try. I was aiming to create a very crispy deep-fried duck. It does work so next time you're at a Chinese market, head for the flour and starch aisle and look for water chestnut starch.
If you're familiar with this starch -- how do you use it?
Ivy Manning says
I tried it on hand cut french fries, kind of like how restaurants I've worked in use Wondra. It worked, sort of. It coated the fries with a sort of xtra crispy coating. Unfortunately, it didn't stick enough to make a big difference. Maybe I shouldn't have blotted them dry before coating them... The flavor was very neutral. Would love to know what else to do with water chestnut flour...it's taking up real estate in my pantry!
Andrea Nguyen says
Ivy -- that's really interesting info. The crispy duck was dry -- more or less -- to the touch. I was surprised at how the water chestnut starch took on a strange plaster/cement like quality. For coating French fries or anything else that is wet, how about grinding up the starch (use a food processor) and then lightly tossing the food with the starch? That would make it stick better. There's always using the water chestnut starch as a thickening agent but that's not as fun, huh?
jim says
Interesting. i've never thought of using it as something to fry with. usually i use regular rice flour [not glutious rice flour] and wheat starch to help make something crispy. as far as water chestnut starch, i've only used in making water chestnut cake, ma teh goh, a pretty common cantonese dim sum.
Shower Stall says
Interesting I haven't tried water chestnuts before.
e cig says
Wow i never thought of using them in this way. I just put them in stir frye.
dick stein says
Hi Andrea, I've been using water chestnut flour for a long time to coat the duck when I make Wor Shu Opp. I grind it in a mortar, then sift through a fine sieve, coat the duck pieces with it and steam. The coating become gelatinous and not only gets really crisp when I fry the duck, it stays crisp.
Andrea Nguyen says
Dick -- What a nifty trick. I'm going to try it out as I've got lots of water chestnut flour around now.
Lien says
Hi, I wanted to ask whether I could use water chestnut starch as a replacement for tapioca starch for certain dessert recipes. I was about to make steamed tapioca layered cake(Banh Da Lon) by using water chestnut flour. Do you think that it would work? Besides do you know whether I can use the same amount of water chestnut flour to replace my tapioca starch? Or does water chestnut flour thicken better/worse than tapioca starch?
Andrea Nguyen says
Lien -- I have no idea but whatever you do, the water chestnut flour seems to be a more firm/harder kind of starch than tapioca. You may want that? Remember to get it super fine before using it.
Dana says
Hi, i kinda use this flour to make "banh duc man", combine the flour with 1 Tablespoon salt, 1 can coconut milk, plus 1 can of water, cook in a wok until it looks pasty and pour to a baking pan and let it cool down. then top it with meat mixture. Dana
amy bueno says
I used to use a mixture of corn starch and rice flour to make crispy fried smelt or trout, but the water chestnut starch works really well- you do need to grind it and shake it through a sieve, though.Clean the fish, pat dry, roll in starch, deep fry.
Randall says
Very important water chestnut starch for thickening curry... the best... think about it. try it...
Make a slurry... add a bit at a time like adding flour... sauces will thicken up with that 'corn starch' look or feel.
Never use corn starch again.
Kathy Thompson says
The recipe I have for Lemon Chicken by Craig Claiborne...the chicken is coated with water chestnut powder(flour) It is delicious, but I cannot find water chestnut flour or powder here in Oregon. No-one at any of the Oriental markets (not many here in this small town has heard of it. What is the next best substitute for frying crispy chicken?
Lydia Deven says
I found it at my local India Cash and Carry
Rick in SF says
I used water chestnut starch (as it reads on the label) for the first time to coat Chinese-marinated chicken highs stuffed with sticky rice. I mixed the water chestnut starch with some regular AP flour because the water chestnut starch did not coat the chicken evenly. I was pretty happy with the result but will grind it in a mortar first the next time.
panicBoy says
We were at Pho 88 in Lowell, Mass, and had a really amazing meal that started with some glazed sweet chili wings that had been battered in what I can only assume was chestnut flour. Wow. What a nifty trick. Will have to try this at home.
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anne fischer says
I have the same recipe from craig claiborn....I'm not going to rack my brain about it and am simply going to fry the chicken in a flour, corn starch mixture and hope for the best.
If it doesn't do the trick, the next time I will use panko....panko always produces a crisp crust....in fact, you'd be hard pressed not to have it come out crisp.
Think I'll try the panko first; then the flour & cornstarch.
Gluten-Free Flour says
Tapioca starches are widely used in baking applications, frozen foods, dry mixes, soups, sauces, gravies, snacks, instant foods, noodles and meat and fish dishes.
Monster Beats says
Easier said than done.
G from Washington says
Try my way you won't dissapointed. Chicken thigh or wings before coat with cornstarch, tapioca, or chesnut flour cook first. cook chicken 10 minute with boil water. Drian then rinse quick with water. In a bag put the type of above flour that you wish to use. Put the cook chicken in the bag, shake it up coat it well then fry em. Very crispy after 5-10 minute. (becuase chicken cook its still warm and some what wet, its stick to the flour better, make sure when drain let it sit a few minute. do not have too much wetness)
marlon says
The recipe I have for Lemon Chicken by Craig Claiborne...the chicken is coated with water chestnut powder(flour) It is delicious.
raw says
Alright anyone ever heard of General Tso's Chicken? Water chestnut flour. That is why I am looking to buy some. Wheat flour has a high protein content is more likely to absorb oil during frying. Need to cut it with rice flour and cornstarch so it will crisp up and absorb less oil. Tapioca flour is a root flour and it will gel and disintegrate at low temp causing the coating to be mushy. I need to find some water chestnut flour so I can make me awesome chicken. 🙂