What is the fun in biting into a crispy fried chicken sandwich or a potato chop, if it wasn’t for the crispy, crunchy exterior holding deliciously moist filling on the inside. Breading, while cooking, is one of the more underrated but complex cooking techniques that most of us fail to get right or make a mess of. As if deep-frying wasn’t hard, breading is equally difficult to achieve, without having the outer coating separate from your cutlet or tikki as it is dropped into the hot oil. However, if you are an amateur cook or new to the whole gamut of breading a piece of chicken or a cutlet, here are some other ingredients you could use – some of which are gluten free and allergen-friendly.
Cornflakes
The breakfast cereal is not sweet in taste and brings a crunchier texture when used in place of breadcrumbs for a delicious fried chicken sandwich. Cornflakes, when crushed lightly, have coarse edges and puff up slightly on being fried. Cornflakes are also wonderful to use as a topping for macaroni and cheese, a classic dish where you would typically use a breadcrumb topping for some textural diversity. Cornflakes, however, cannot be used as a binder in recipes where the filling must be held together.
Crushed Nuts
Image Credits: Bigger Bolder Baking
Crushed nuts or nut flours like almond, walnut and cashew are a great low-carb alternative to breadcrumbs. Not only do they bring texture, they’re also packed with good fats as well as provide plenty of flavour to dishes. Similar to cornflakes, crushed nuts don’t work well as a binder but work beautifully to boost richness and satiety. If you have difficulties in finding nut flour in the grocery store, simply toast and blitz a cup of any nuts of your choice in a food processor.
Rice Flour
Image Credits: HariHar Food Products
One of the most underrated forms of carbohydrates, rice flour is an excellent ingredient to use if you want your deep-fried food to be extra crunchy. Rice flour is an amazing gluten-free option as well as healthy option for those who want to consciously steer away from using gluten (breadcrumbs) or corn starch in their food. Rice flour is also a great binder and thickening agent for meatballs, sauces and stews and blends well with anything it has been added to, due to its neutral flavour.
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Rolled Oats
Image Credits: The Forked Spoon
Using whole or pulverised oats in place of breadcrumbs is an effective way to let any excessive liquid be absorbed from your food. Rolled oats also double up as a binder and can be toasted slightly for an amplified flavour. Oats are rich in fibre and nutrients, which make it an ideal ingredient to use for dishes that are breaded and baked. Compared to breadcrumbs, oats are a versatile ingredient to work with in the kitchen and have a wider range of applications.
Potato Starch
Image Credits: The Ettlinger Corporation
A common ingredient used to deep-fry food in Japan, potato starch has slowly risen to popularity in India, thanks to the unmatched crunchiness it provides when coating meat or vegetables. Potato starch is a lighter substitution to breadcrumbs and does not absorb as much oil, that might leave your food soggy, once it’s cold.
