Flour is often made from wheat, but many cultures have been using unique ingredients to make different types of flour, such as finger millet flour.
If you have never heard of finger millet flour before, you may be curious as to what finger millet flour is. I did the research, and this is what I found!
What Is Finger Millet Flour?
Finger millet flour is a form of flour made from finger millet, which is a pseudo-grain. Generally, finger millet flour can be used to make bread, beer, cereal, and more. Nowadays, most people use finger millet flour with other gluten-free flour like oat flour and tapioca starch to create gluten-free baked goods.
Do you want to learn what other names finger millet flour has and what you can substitute for finger millet flour? Keep reading!
What Is Finger Millet Flour Made Of?
Finger millet flour is made from a grass crop called finger millet, which normally grows in elevated and arid areas in Asia and Africa.
What Is Finger Millet Flour Used For?
Finger millet flour has a variety of uses, and finger millet flour’s main use will depend on the country.
For instance, countries in Southeast Asia and Africa have been using finger millet flour to make cereal, beer, and bread for thousands of years.
Moreover, many people around the world have been using finger millet flour as a gluten-free alternative to flour.
For example, finger millet flour has a mild flavor and neutral texture similar to plain flour, making finger millet flour a good substitute for gluten-free baking.
However, most people suggest mixing finger millet flour with tapioca starch or oat flour if you want to bake with finger millet flour because a combination of flours will enhance the texture of your dishes.
What Is Another Name For Finger Millet Flour?
Normally, the other name for finger millet flour is African millet or ragi flour, which is what finger millet flour is usually called in India.
Finger millet flour gets its name from its appearance because the grain’s head has five spikes, which look like five fingers.
What Is The Difference Between Plain Flour And Finger Millet Flour?
Generally, the main difference between plain flour and finger millet flour is the ingredients used to make them.
Plain flour is normally made from a mix of soft and hard wheat while finger millet flour is made from finger millet.
Therefore, plain flour will contain gluten because of the wheat whereas finger millet flour will not.
As such, you will get different results in your recipes depending on what type of flour you use.
Typically, plain flour offers a bit of rising and structure to dishes because of the gluten while finger millet flour does not.
Can I Use Finger Millet Flour Instead Of Regular Flour?
It is possible to use finger millet flour instead of regular flour, but it is usually ideal to mix your finger millet flour with other types of flour, especially if you are making a baking recipe.
Normally, most people mix potato starch, tapioca starch, oat flour, etc. with finger millet flour to make the finger millet flour have a better texture.
Normally, finger millet flour best replaces regular flour in recipes like quick bread, pancakes, etc.
Is Finger Millet Flour Wheat Flour?
Technically, finger millet flour cannot be considered wheat flour because millet is a grass crop.
Generally, millet flours like finger millet flour are considered a pseudo-grain because millet looks and feels very similar to grains but is not a grain.
Is Finger Millet Flour Better Than Wheat Flour?
Strictly speaking, finger millet flour is neither better nor worse than wheat flour because it can serve different purposes.
Although some people may state that finger millet flour is better than wheat flour because you can use finger millet flour as a gluten-free flour in many recipes.
However, wheat flour may be considered better than finger millet flour because wheat flour is more versatile and the most common type of flour.
On the other hand, finger millet flour can have the upper hand if you need gluten-free flour since finger millet flour is made from grass, not wheat.
Does Finger Millet Flour Have Gluten?
Finger millet flour does not have gluten because finger millet flour is made from millet, which is a grass crop.
Since finger millet is a pseudo-grain, finger millet flour will look and feel like wheat flour without gluten.
What Can I Use Instead Of Finger Millet Flour?
If you want another gluten-free alternative to flour, you can opt for rice flour instead of finger millet flour.
Rice flour is a fairly mild and soft flour, meaning rice flour can easily replace finger millet flour. Plus, rice flour is often used in tandem with finger millet flour for many recipes.
If you do not mind eating some gluten, all-purpose flour is an acceptable substitute for finger millet flour for most recipes.
However, all-purpose flour may not be ideal to replace finger millet flour if you want to make a recipe that does not rise, such as flatbread.
Take a look at our other articles to discover what flaxseed flour is, what durum flour is, and what the difference between bleached and unbleached flour is.
Conclusion
Finger millet flour is millet flour created from finger millet, and finger millet flour has been used in Southeast Asia and Africa for many years.
While finger millet flour is a pseudo-grain, finger millet flour is an excellent alternative to wheat flour to create many gluten-free recipes.