A Guide to Gluten-Free Grains (part 2)
Find out the best gluten-free grains to eat on your gluten-free journey.
There are many reasons that an individual may avoid gluten in their diet, including celiac disease, a wheat allergy, gluten intolerance or sensitivity or other digestive health conditions.
Explore the practical aspects of gluten-free grains-what you can eat, how to cook them, and what they taste like. Plus, get ready-to-use recipes and an overview of 5 gluten-free grains.
This is part 2 of my gluten-free grains article. Read part 1 here. There was so much I had to share with you that I couldn’t write it into 1 article.
Luckily, following a gluten-free diet doesn't mean avoiding all grains. Several grains are naturally gluten-free. Here are my next top 5 gluten-free grains that I love using in my cooking. I will be highlighting the following gluten-free grains in this article.
Rice—the many varieties, what it tastes like, how to cook it, recipes, and where to buy it.
Teff - what it tastes like, how to cook it, recipes, and where to buy it.
Millet - what it tastes like, how to cook it, recipes, and where to buy it.
Tapioca - what it tastes like, how to cook it, recipes, and where to buy it.
Quinoa - what it tastes like, how to cook it, recipes, and where to buy it.
Top 5 gluten-free grains
Rice
(Oryza sativa), is an edible, starchy cereal grain and the grass plant (family Poaceae) produced by it. There are many colours and sizes of rice on the market today, including black rice, brown rice, yellow rice, and white rice. It is such a versatile gluten-free grain to use and many varieties.
Long–grain rice is the most popular and longest-grain size. It is great to serve alongside curries, chillies, or stews.
Medium-Grain Rice—When cooked, medium–grain rice is softer than long–grain rice but not as soft as short-grain rice. It is great for use in risotto dishes.
Short Grain Rice – Typically used in rice pudding dishes due to its sticky and moist attributes when cooked.
Did you know that there are over 40 thousand rice varieties. Some common varieties are: White Jasmine rice, basmati rice, black rice, red rice, wild rice, sticky rice, and sushi rice.
How do I cook rice?
Rice is cooked by boiling. Use 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. The time depends on what type of rice you are using. White basmati rice can take 15 minutes to cook, whereas black or brown rice can take up to 45 minutes. Always read the instructions on the packet if you are unsure.
What does rice taste like?
Because of the different varieties, they do taste different. For example, aromatic kinds of rice like jasmine and basmati have a beautiful aroma and are fluffy and great to use in eastern-type dishes. Sticky rice like sushi or jasmine has a glutinous texture and fragrant taste. Red rice is not sticky, fluffy or starchy and tastes nutty, as does black rice. It's really worth experimenting with the different varieties, rice is relatively cheap, too, so you won’t be breaking the budget.
Where can I buy rice?
At all supermarkets, the specialist types of rice can be found at either health food stores or online.
Rice recipes:
Other products in which rice is used are breakfast cereals, flour, noodles, and alcoholic beverages such as Japanese sake. Its versatility makes rice the perfect grain to eat on a gluten-free diet.
Try my pilaf rice recipe here. ( picture below)
Coconut & berries rice pudding recipe here. ( picture below)
Recipe using black rice here.
Teff
Teff (Eragrostis tef), sometimes spelt tef, is cereal grass (family Poaceae) grown for its tiny nutritious seeds. Teff grain and Teff flour are excellent alternatives to wheat, barley and rye for those on a gluten-free diet.
Teff is rich tasting and very versatile. Using other 100% natural and organic ingredients to complement its great flavour.
Teff is native to Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it is a staple food crop for millions of people. Teff seeds are among the smallest cereal grains, usually measuring less than 1 mm (0.04 inch) in diameter. Teff flour is used extensively in Ethiopia to make injera, a soft flatbread prepared from slightly fermented batter, and the grains are also used in stews and porridges.
What does Teff taste like?
The grains have a mild, nutty flavour. Ivory and brown teff are sweet-tasting grains unlike any other. Teff is an interesting new grain for you to experiment with on your gluten-free journey.
Teff are sweet-tasting grains unlike any other. Brown teff has a subtle hazelnut, almost chocolate-like flavour and a moist texture similar to millet (but more exotic). Ivory teff has a milder flavour than brown.
How to cook Teff
Teff can be cooked alone or in combination with other grains and vegetables its a great gluten-free grain to experiment with and its cheap. Simply boil 1 cup teff with 3 cups water or stock. Season with one or more of the following spices for a tasty dish: cinnamon, ginger, garlic, cardamom, chillies, basil and cilantro. Teff is quick cooking, too. Ready in 20 minutes,
Where can I buy Teff?
Mainly online or at your local health food store.
Teff recipes
Teff is ideal for fast meals. For pastries, ivory and brown teff flour make superb pancakes, pie crusts, and cookies.
Take a look here for teff recipes.
Millet
Millet is a gluten-free cereal grain that belongs to the Poaceae family, commonly known as the grass family.
While it may look like a seed, millet's nutritional profile resembles sorghum and other cereals. It's considered an ancient gluten-free grain used for human consumption and livestock and bird feed.
It's a primary ingredient in flatbreads, beer, other fermented beverages, and porridges. Many commercially produced gluten-free bread in the United States use millet flour, either solely or in conjunction with flour milled from other gluten-free grains.
Though technically a seed, millet functions like whole grain, and you can cook with it like you would other whole grains, such as rice or quinoa. They look like tiny corn kernels and cost about a quarter of what you would pay for quinoa, making them among the more economical grains available. Like many whole grains, millet can be purchased as flour or flakes.
What Does It Taste Like?
Millet falls on the sweeter end of the whole grain scale; some people liken the flavour to corn. It also readily takes on the flavour characteristics of the ingredients in a sauce or a dressing. But the fluffy texture of cooked millet, similar to mashed potatoes or steamed rice, distinguishes it from other whole grains, such as chewy barley, buckwheat, or farro. Like those whole grains, millet has a slightly nutty flavour, enhancing toasting. I think it taste quite similar to cous cous and love using it instead of rice in some dishes.
How to Cook Millet
Use 2 cups of water for each cup of millet; for a softer, creamier result, increase the water to 3 cups. Bring it to a boil, add salt and the millet, cover the pot, and turn the heat down. Keep a close eye on the pot as it simmers, checking the texture at 15 minutes if you plan to use it as a grain side dish such as pilaf. If it's done, you can drain off any water the grains didn't absorb or continue cooking for up to an additional five minutes. For a softer and creamier millet, such as breakfast porridge, simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
Recipes using Millet:
Like quinoa and other whole grains, millet lends itself well to breakfast porridge dishes, a replacement for rice alongside vegetable stir-fries, and a savoury pilaf. It's also a versatile bulking ingredient in soups, casseroles, and vegetarian patties, making millet a perfect gluten-free grain to add to your cooking repertoire.
Take a look at some millet recipes here.
Where can I buy millet?
Millet flour should be available with other speciality flours. Millet flakes may be hard to find in a standard grocery store, but you can purchase them online. You may also be able to find ready-to-eat puffed millet cereal, similar to puffed rice cereal.
I bought millet grain from the Grapetree which is a high street health food shop, that’s really cheap. Or you can buy at your local health food shop or online.
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch from the plant cassava. Tapioca pearls and powders are most often white or off-white, but the pearls are frequently used in desserts.
Tapioca flour is similar to cornflour, while the spherical pearls look like giant couscous. The smell and taste of cassava flour are often described as sour, fermented or musty. For those with sensitive tummies, tapioca is for you! This ingredient is gentle on the stomach, and many find it easier to digest than regular flours created using grains or nuts making tapioca a really great gluten-free grain alternative.
Tapioca flour and tapioca starch also serve as an alternative to white flour for thickening purposes and are used to make soups, sauces and pie fillings.
How to cook tapioca
If you are making a tapioca pudding, heat coconut or plant-based milk, add the tapioca pearls, and then simmer for 25 minutes. It will turn really creamy. It's opaque before cooking but turns translucent upon hydration. Tapioca pearls come in large and small sizes.
In addition, tapioca adds body to soups, sauces, and gravies. As a binder and ingredient and stabiliser, tapioca can be added to ground meat products, such as burger patties and chicken nuggets. It traps moisture in a gel, so it's often added to baked goods to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy during storage. Tapioca is a common ingredient in gluten-free products because it helps lighten the texture and maintain moisture without gluten.
What does tapioca taste like?
Tapioca has a neutral flavour and strong gelling power, making it effective as a thickening agent in both sweet and savoury foods. When making tapioca pudding, you can add sweetener, cinnamon, coconut or fruit to the pudding. If you are using the flour for baking, I would recommend finding recipes suited to using the flour as you cannot simply swap a cup of wheat flour for tapioca flour as they both have different textures and properties
Recipes using tapioca:
It is used in puddings, noodles, bread, and other food products. Tapioca can take multiple forms: flour, flakes, seeds or pearls.
Take a look at recipes using tapioca pearls here.
Take a look at Tapioca flour recipes here.
Where can I buy tapioca?
You can buy tapioca pearls at either a health food shop or online. I bought my tapioca from my local Indian shop and it was really cheap. Tapioca flour can be bought at some supermarkets, health food shops or online.
Quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is the seed of the Chenopodium quinoa plant. Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family.
Botanically speaking, it's not a grain. It's a seed from a weed-like plant called goosefoot, closely related to beets and spinach. However, it's often called a "pseudo-grain" because it's similar in nutrients and eaten the same way as cereal grains.
There are over 3,000 varieties of quinoa. However, the most widely grown types are red, black and white. There is also a tricolour variety, a mixture of all three. You can also buy quinoa flour which lends itself well to baked goods. Quinoa can be prepared like brown rice or barley, and you can also purchase quinoa flour and quinoa flakes in any form.
What does quinoa taste like?
They are tiny, bead-shaped seeds (although more similarly treated like grains) with a little tail that unfurls when cooked. It has a slightly nutty flavour and firm texture.
Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa is a complete protein, containing all eight of the essential amino acids. It is perfect for vegans; if you haven't tried quinoa yet, this is a grain you must add to your gluten-free pantry. I use it all the time, and it's a healthy gluten-free grain to eat and gentle on your tummy if you have digestive issues.
How do I cook quinoa?
To prepare quinoa, rinse it first, cover it with seasoned water, stock, or vegetable broth, bring it to a boil, then put a tight-fitting lid on the pot, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer it until it softens, about 15 minutes; look for the tiny spirals of the germ to appear, a sign that it's done. Drain it with a fine mesh sieve, return it to the warm pot to rest for about 10 minutes with the lid on, and then fluff it with a fork to separate the grains.
Recipes using quinoa:
Try my quinoa salad recipe here.
Lots more quinoa recipes here.
Where can I buy quinoa?
From all supermarkets in the UK, health food shops and online.
What grains should I exclude from a gluten-free diet?
There are types of grains and grain products that should not be included in a "gluten-free" diet because they contain the form of gluten that is not safe for people with celiac and most gluten intolerances. Or have a high chance of cross-contamination in their production, including;
Barley
Barley malt or extract
Bran
Bulgur wheat
Couscous
Durum
Farina
Faro
Kamut
Malt matzo flour or meal
Orzo
Panko
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Spelt
Triticale.
Udon noodles
Wheat
Wheat bran
Wheat germ or wheat starch.
It is always essential to read product labels.
Some products, such as soy sauce and other seasonings and sauces, contain wheat. If you need more information on how to eat a gluten-free diet take a look here. And if your looking for more inspiring recipes, take a look at my gluten free collection here. I have a free downloadable guide to gluten and dairy free swaps with great brands to buy, recipes and much more. Download your free guide here.
Further reading and references
https://www.riceassociation.org.uk/types-of-rice
https://www.britannica.com/topic/California-roll
https://knowingrice.com/types-of-rice/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-millet#basics
https://www.mashed.com/442720/what-is-polenta-and-what-does-it-taste-like/?utm_campaign=clip
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-amaranth-5077691
https://kamsokhi.com/articles/buckwheat-and-its-uses-in-allergy-free-cookery
https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/sources-of-gluten/
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