Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Oodles of Buckwheat Noodles
For folks who can’t handle wheat gluten and for everyone who loves healthy, nutty buckwheat, here is a fun-to-make and simple recipe for tasty noodles. Great in casseroles, stirfries, soups, and sauces. These g-f noodles are less pliant than wheat noodles, so it is best to cut them in fairly short strips so they won’t break while cooking. They taste divine.
Buckwheat is low in fat, a great source of protein, fiber, and minerals, and a low-carbon, sustainable crop. It’s got it all.
Serves 7 to 9
320 g buckwheat flour
60 g besan flour (found online or at any South Asian grocery) or chickpea flour
220 g silken tofu, drained
Hint:
You can season the cooking water with white miso, if you desire, but I prefer to season the noodles in their final application as a casserole, stir-fry, soup etc.
Combine the flours in a food processor and pulse to combine them.
Add the drained silken tofu. Process for a minute. A nice dough should gather into a dense but pliable ball. If it fails to gather, add a little more buckwheat or besan flour and run again. The dough should be soft and clay-like, but not at all wet. Adjust with flour or tofu, as needed.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in quarters. Remove one quarter, and cover the remainder well with wrap to prevent drying.
Lightly flour a large board with buckwheat flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in a rectangle, 3 inches wide and 1/8-inch thick. Occasionally, flip the dough and reflour the surface of the dough and board to prevent sticking.
Use a straight edge and bench scraper to remove the uneven edges and return the dough scraps to the wrapped dough.
Use a bench scraper to cut ¼-inch wide dough strips. Transfer the noodles to a tray covered with a clean, soft cotton towel. Cover with wrap to keep supple.
Repeat the rolling and cutting process until all the noodles are made.
If you don’t plan to cook it in an hour or two, transfer to a large glass rectangular pyrex storage container and refrigerate.
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water. Lower to a simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Cook for about 8 minutes, tasting as you go.
Drain and use as you like.