Cornflour or arrowroot.

cautis, Oct 23, 2:31am
I have never used arrowroot before but heard it's a thickener like cornflour and it thickens almost instantly instead of waiting about 15 minutes like you have to with cornflour.I have varying successes with cornflour so thought I'd try arrowroot.

Do you recommend it and is it found where cornflour is in the supermarket!

Thanks.

marcs, Oct 23, 2:35am
arrowroot is a better thickner than cornflour in my opinion but if I don't have it in the pantry then I just use cornflour.

prawn_whiskas, Oct 23, 2:46am
It depends on the application.If you use arrowroot and continue to heat what ever you are thickening and it goes past 70 Celsius then the thickening effect thins out and you may as well not have added anything.If its added at the last moment and taken from the heat then it works perfectly fine.

kinna54, Oct 23, 5:41am
I find arowroot has an after taste,sweet and gloopy) makes sauces very shiny.
I prefer cornflour, tho depending upon the recipe.
I use arrowroot for Lemon sauce, or in the odd Asian recipe.

skippie1, Oct 23, 5:59am
Potato flour is the best thickener, esp for Asian dishes

nauru, Oct 23, 7:13am
Same as #5, I use this, especially in my crockpot.It thickens immediately and you don't have to cook your sauces etc. as you do with cornflour.

cautis, Oct 23, 7:20am
Hmm, potato flour!Where do you find that!Cos it is for using in the slow cooker that I'm asking.

nauru, Oct 23, 7:25am
Binn Inn if you have one near you or any of the Asian supply shops.I have also seen it in New World supermarket, packed by Lotus foods.It is cheaper in the Asian shops or BInn Inn though.

cautis, Oct 23, 6:54pm
Cool, thank you!

yusufb, Oct 23, 9:16pm
Arrowroot is used to thcken in the same way that cornflour is used. the difference is that arrowroot is used to thicken without the milky colouring. So when you thicken a syrup for instance, the original colour of the syrup will stay the same and not go cloudy.
It does have a different texture to it also but is mostly used for syrups.
If you want to thicken fruit or coulis without cooking use Colset - from bakery suppliers.