Shrimp Curry - What Flour To Use?

[sa1937]

I have an old recipe for Shrimp Curry that calls for making a roux using butter, onion, curry powder and flour. I'm puzzled as to which type of flour would work best. I've pretty much eliminated consideration of corn starch, tapioca flour and anything that would make this a clear sauce and I question whether an all-purpose gluten free flour would work well.

Any suggestions?

[AlysounRI]

I have an old recipe for Shrimp Curry that calls for making a roux using butter, onion, curry powder and flour. I'm puzzled as to which type of flour would work best. I've pretty much eliminated consideration of corn starch, tapioca flour and anything that would make this a clear sauce and I question whether an all-purpose gluten free flour would work well.

Any suggestions?

Arrowroot is often a substitute for corn starch.

Perhaps that one?

But wait, it's a "clear flour".

Perhaps you could use a bean four like garfava or even just chick pea flour?

Chick pea flour makes a great thickener.

[sa1937]

Perhaps you could use a bean four like garfava or even just chick pea flour?

Chick pea flour makes a great thickener.

Allison, I have chick pea (i.e. garbanzo bean) flour and didn't even think of it. Do you think it would make it taste "beany"? And would I use the same amount of it as regular ol' wheat flour?

[AlysounRI]

Allison, I have chick pea (i.e. garbanzo bean) flour and didn't even think of it. Do you think it would make it taste "beany"? And would I use the same amount of it as regular ol' wheat flour?

Chick pea flour does have a taste, but it has less of a taste than garfava flour

I am not sure of how much you should use or if it would make your roux taste too beany.

However, if you are also using curry powder, that is strong enough to mask any overly beany taste from the chick peas ... perhaps. I haven't done anything like that so I can't say for sure. I just though it could be a possibility.

Chick pea flour is often used to thicken yoghurt sauces in Indian cooking but that is highly spiced cooking anyway.

I would wait for some other responses before you used my idea and let others weigh in, too.

[MagpieWrites]

For myself, whenever I need to make a roux - be it for gravy, sauces, or the like - I tend to just use an equal amount of sweet rice flour in place of the wheat flour. No beany flavor (I'm a bit picky I'll confess. I'll happily eat beans in a thousand different permutations... but I can't stand most bean flours. To me, they tend to overwhelm everything else in the dish - or worse, MUTE every other flavor in the dish!), no grit, and it even will take on a lovely toasty flavor if you are going for a darker roux.

One caveat though - I can't swear to how it works with shellfish (allergic to the bugs of da sea ) BUT I have made chicken curry and chicken gumbo using sweet rice flour.

[Skylark]

I use potato starch for thickening.

[sa1937]

I think you're all on to something so thank you! I just found this recipe for Thick, Rich Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Roux/White Sauce: Open Original Shared Link It uses a combination of rice flour, garbanzo bean flour and potato starch.

If it works, it could be made up in small batches and used for curry sauce. I do have glutinous rice (sweet rice) flour and would probably substitute it for the regular white rice flour. I see a local store does have the Asian white rice flour, which I think is finer but I already have the other kind on hand so next time I'll go there to replenish my supply. I'm sure I could vary the amounts of the flours, perhaps cutting back on the garbanzo bean and adding in more of one of the others.

My recipe for the sauce for Shrimp Curry sauce can also be used for Chicken Curry. I'm sure the recipe is not an "authentic" Indian recipe as it is from a 50-year old Betty Crocker cookbook but my kids always loved it (still do) and now I need to make it gluten free.

[munchkinette]

What is shrimp curry made from? We've been looking for gluten-free shrimp paste for a long time. Most of the traditional southeast Asian kinds have wheat flour in them.

[sa1937]

What is shrimp curry made from? We've been looking for gluten-free shrimp paste for a long time. Most of the traditional southeast Asian kinds have wheat flour in them.

Here's my recipe...as I said, there's probably not an authentic Indian thing about it. I've never heard of nor have I seen shrimp paste before.

Shrimp Curry (or Chicken Curry)

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced onion

1-1/2 tsp curry powder (I use McCormick's)

3 tbsp flour (I now need to try a good gluten free flour blend)

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

2 cups cooked shrimp (or substitute cooked chicken)

1/2 tsp lemon juce

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Saute onion and curry powder in melted butter. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly (sometimes I have to add a bit more butter). Remove from heat. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil one minute. Add shrimp or chicken and lemon juice. Heat. Serve with rice and if desired, sprinkle condiments over the top.

Suggested condiments: Chutney, sieved hard-cooked eggs, tomato wedges, crisp bacon bits, raisins, sweet or sour pickles, slivered salted almonds, currant jelly, chopped salted peanuts, flaked coconut, sauteed onion rings, India relish, pineapple chunks or sliced avocado.

Note: I use at least a pound of decent sized shrimp. I've also substituted Herb-Ox instant chicken bouillon if I don't have chicken broth on hand. If you want it hotter, use more curry powder. I do have some hot ginger curry powder but haven't tried it yet but then I'd leave out the ground ginger in the recipe. I think this recipe is something to play around with to suit your taste.