What is arrowroot, where does the plant from which it is obtained grow? Composition, useful properties and possible harm when used. How can you make a product at home, what dishes do you add it to? Interesting about arrowroot. When added to food, it stops the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms that are on the products. This property was widely used by local residents - they disinfected water.
An additional benefit of arrowroot for the human body is the absence of gluten in the composition. It can be added to the diet of celiac patients. The mild taste allows you to introduce the product into the diet of babies, to create baby food on its basis.
Contraindications and harm of arrowroot
Allergic reactions when using arrowroot root have occurred in isolated cases. The immune response of the body with individual intolerance was limited to redness of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, sore throat, skin rash and itching. Anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema were not recorded.
Harm from an arrowroot can occur:
- With low blood clotting;
- For patients in preparation for operations and after them within 2 weeks;
- In women during menstruation;
- With exacerbation of peptic ulcer.
Important! After heat treatment, useful substances disintegrate, and it is already useless to use starch flour for medicinal purposes.
How to make arrowroot?
To make the powder yourself, choose the roots of young plants. First, they are washed with a brush with cold water, and the skin is peeled. Then the pulp is thoroughly ground (you can use a blender) and beat with cold water. It turns out vegetable milk. Then this milk is carefully dried in the sun, spilling a thin layer on iron sheets. The powder is collected and further stored in glass containers, without access to air.
Arrowroot starch flour is widely used in American, Mexican, and Latin American cuisine. It thickens well at low temperatures - 40-50 ° C, due to which the beneficial properties are preserved. This quality is used to make custard sauces and sweet creams from raw eggs, dairy dishes and the like, which also cannot be heated.
When preparing arrowroot, the following recommendations should be observed: first, the starch is diluted in cold water - 5 mg per 50 ml, then stir thoroughly and only then pour in boiling water. The water temperature should be calculated so that the liquid cools down and does not curdle within 10 minutes.
Note! Measures for determining the amount of arrowroot: 1 teaspoon - 14 g, 1 tablespoon - 35 g, 1 cup - 280 g.
Arrowroot food and drink recipes
When purchasing an arrowroot, you need to pay attention to the structure. The flour should be soft, silky to the touch, not slippery like starch. If there are lumps or an unpleasant odor is felt, the purchase must be discarded, even if the indicated shelf life on the package is not expired.
Delicious arrowroot recipes:
- French fries … Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. A baking sheet is generously greased with sunflower oil. Mix salt, pepper, arrowroot, roll potato slices in it. Then the potatoes are placed in deep fat, heated to a temperature of 180 ° C, and left until a crispy crust appears. It is better to transfer the finished slices to a sieve to drain off excess fat. Dried crunchy slices can be eaten hot or cold.
- Baking gluten free bread … First, a leaven is made.50 g of arrowroot is poured with 4 tablespoons of boiled water, 1 tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice are added. Then the leaven is placed in a warm place - you can go to the battery. Arrowroot flour - 0.5 kg, 50 g of corn flour, 1.5 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of sourdough, a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil are placed in a bread maker. They are showing the "Gluten-Free Bread" program. Bake until tender. The pulp of such baked goods is denser than in ordinary bread, a little damp.
- Dessert "The Shining of the Stars" according to the Japanese recipe … Pour 200 ml of water into a saucepan. Separately mix 40 g of cane sugar, 30 g of kuzuki flour, 40 g of arrowroot, sweet red bean paste - 300 g. When it is possible to obtain a homogeneous structure, 10 identical balls are rolled from the sweet pasty mixture. All balls are wrapped in cling film, tied with a thread so as not to disintegrate. Pounds are dipped in boiling water by a string for 5 minutes. As soon as the balls become hard and transparent, the dessert can be taken out. Chill in a bowl of ice. The Japanese sprinkle "sweets" with edible gold leaf, the Europeans do without decoration.
- Berry pudding … Pits are removed from the cherries, half a glass. Mix berries - black currants and cherries in equal amounts, add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Put on fire, stirring constantly, to give juice. 2 tablespoons of starch are poured with boiled water and poured into a saucepan. When it is possible to obtain a homogeneous structure, they are immediately removed from the heat, filtered through a sieve and poured into molds. Put it on the refrigerator shelf until it thickens.
- Semolina pudding … Raisins are soaked in a bowl of hot water. At this time, boil milk - 0.5 l, adding sugar - 65 g, add semolina - 80 g, cook, stirring constantly, until it swells. Beat the egg separately without separating the whites from the yolks. Remove the porridge from the heat, stir in raisins, 1 tablespoon of arrowroot diluted with cool water, pour in a beaten egg, stir everything. A baking dish is greased with butter, half of the porridge is laid out, then a layer of melted caramel - you can make it yourself from 65 g of sugar, the layer of porridge is again laid out. Bake in the oven at 140 ° C for 25 minutes.
- Chocolate pudding … You need to use pasteurized milk to avoid boiling. Heat 400 ml to make it hot, pour it into a blender bowl, add 2 tablespoons of arrowroot, sugar, cocoa, ground hazelnuts or walnuts. Beat until a completely homogeneous structure is obtained, reheat, pour into molds and put them in the refrigerator on a shelf. Freezes within 2-3 hours.
Arrowroot drinks:
- Hot chocolate … A teaspoon of arrowroot is diluted in 30 ml of cream. Another 100 ml of cream is brought to a boil. Pour a tablespoon of cane sugar, dissolved arrowroot and 4 tablespoons of grated dark chocolate into a container with them. Everything is boiled until thick, stirring constantly so that there are no lumps. Pour some orange peel into each cup before serving.
- Berry jelly … A little bit of different berries are dipped into boiling water - black currants, lingonberries and cranberries, boiled, filtered through a sieve. Bring to a boil. Dilute arrowroot flour with cold water, pour into a saucepan, stir well. The amount of thickener is determined according to your own taste.
- Cranberry juice … It is cooked in the same way as jelly, but before you put the berries to boil, they are squeezed out. The juice is set aside. After boiling and filtering the drink, it is mixed with berry juice. When making fruit drink for 0.5 liters of water, no more than half a teaspoon of arrowroot is used.
Interesting facts about arrowroot flour
Starch from arrowroot tubers was produced for Canada, Britain, and the USA. Since 1984, the plant has been grown in the West Indies, since the same year, a thorough study of the effect on the human body has been conducted.
The plant began to be cultivated more than 3000 years ago, even by the Aztecs and Mayans. At the time, tubers were used as an antidote to snake bites or poison arrow wounds.
The British were the first to grow arrowroot at home. They are still trying to plant a variety called "10 Commandments" - there are 10 light spots on the surface of each leaf.
In the industrial production of arrowroot, the roots are briefly soaked in hot water, and then, after removing the top layer, wipe until mushy. Then the starch is washed out with cold water, and only after that it is evaporated.
Now arrowroot is often planted as a house plant, not only in England. There are about 300 ornamental varieties, and their roots are edible to varying degrees. In flowerpots, the stem does not rise above 20 cm. It is necessary to adhere to the light regime, avoid too strong lighting, so that the leaves do not turn pale. Water should only be done with warm water.
What arrowroot tubers look like - look at the video:
Astrologers believe that the plant corresponds to the zodiacal constellation Aquarius. There is a belief associated with arrowroot. If you have this flower at home, you can not be afraid of quarrels. The bush absorbs aggression, prevents the development of a clash between loved ones. If possible, you should definitely plant a useful plant on the windowsill.
