Easy Gluten Free Cooking: Over 130 recipes plus nutrition and lifestyle advice for gluten. Rita Greer

frying and for thickening gravies, stews, casseroles and sauces.

      rice

      Rice is widely available and there are many varieties. Serve basmati rice with curries and use other varieties for puddings and savoury dishes. Boil in plenty of water. The cooking time depends on the hardness of the grains, and varies from 10 to 15 minutes for basmati to 45 minutes for brown rice. When the rice is tender, drain through a colander and serve. Keep it hot, if necessary, by placing the colander over a pan of simmering water, covering with a saucepan lid or plate and just leaving until required. To reheat rice, put it into a metal sieve over a pan of water and bring to the boil. Steam for a few minutes, until hot.

      Ground and flaked rice are good additions to the kitchen cupboard for a gluten-free diet. Rice flour is more finely ground than ground rice. Flaked rice is used for puddings.

      buckwheat (saracen corn)

      This is not from the wheat family and does not contain gluten. It is cooked in the same way as rice. Kasha is the toasted form of buckwheat and tastier than the plain kind. Buy from health stores and cook in the same way as rice. Buckwheat flour has rather limited uses but can be made into pancakes successfully. Buy from health stores.

      cornflour

      True cornflour (cornstarch) is finely ground maize/sweetcorn. Always check that the label specifies maize, as sometimes other grains are added that are not gluten-free.

      cornmeal

      This is a coarse form of ground corn on the cob (maize) and can be used to make cornbread (see here).

      millet