Which is the better substitute for tapioca: corn starch or potato starch?
Which is the better substitute for tapioca in Chinese/South East Asian dishes, e.g. for thickener of soups and for meatballs? Is it corn starch or potato starch? I am asking because both corn starch and potato starch are more readily available in general supermarkets, whereas tapioca is a bit harder to find.
Best Answer
Both potato and corn starch would work equally well in the preparations you describe. When substituting flour, the proportions are equal, e.g., one tablespoon flour to replace the one tablespoon of tapioca. With cornstarch, it would be less: i.e, one tablespoon of cornstarch per two of tapioca. Were you to use pearl tapioca, it would be two of soaked pearl to the one of the quick-cooking version.
If it's available, it may be better to replace the instant tapioca with an equal amount of arrowroot starch. Both tapioca and arrowroot contain the same kind of starch, amylopectin, which differs from the amylose found in flour and cornstarch.
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Is potato starch a good substitute for tapioca starch?
Potato starch is gluten-free and can replace tapioca flour. However, it has a heavier consistency and may result in a denser product, depending on what you're cooking. If you're using a small amount to thicken a sauce or stew you can simply swap it in a 1:1 ratio.Can I use cornstarch instead of tapioca?
Cornstarch is probably something you have in your kitchen\u2014and it's a great tapioca flour substitute if you're using it as a thickening agent. You only need to use half the amount of cornstarch in place of any tapioca flour called for in a recipe (cornstarch is a stronger thickener).What is better cornstarch or tapioca starch?
Tapioca Starch It's less potent than cornstarch, so you'll need about 2 tablespoons tapioca for every 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Unlike cornstarch, which begins to break down when frozen, tapioca stays strong. Avoid boiling, which would make the thickened sauce stringy.The 10 Best Substitutes for Cornstarch
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