[Sca-cooks] converting to gluten free

[Terry Decker]

Looking at the recipe, I would say that the sourdough is meant to lighten 
the final product.  When you have a yeast dough, you get some expansion when 
you put the heat to it.

Considering this is similar to falafel, you should be able to make it 
without the sourdough.  If you would like to experiment with substitutes for 
the sourdough, I can suggest a couple of methods.

1.  Take 1/3 of a cup of warm water, add a small pinch of sugar, dissolve a 
teaspoon of yeast in the water, let the yeast activate.  Stir in a 
non-gluten flour (I would probably use rice or garbanzo flour) until it 
forms a soft dough.  Let the dough stand for about a half hour before making 
the recipe.

2.  Leave out the sourdough and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the 
chickpea flour.

Without testing, I make no guarantees about how these substitutions will 
work.  Experience tells me they should and I can hear Murphy laughing in the 
distance.

Bear

----- Original Message ----- 

Hello,

I wonder if someone more experienced with gluten free cooking can talk
about how best to make this gluten free? Could I substitute xanthan gum
and water for the sourdough? I figure I need to play with it, but I'm
hoping not to re-invent a wheel. :)

Sayyeda al-Kaslaania

*******************
Counterfeit (Vegetarian) Isfîriyâ of Garbanzos
Andalusian p. A-1

Pound some garbanzos, take out the skins and grind them into flour. And
take some of the flour and put into a bowl with a bit of sourdough and
some egg, and beat with spices until it's all mixed. Fry it as before in
thin cakes, and make a sauce for them.

1 c chickpea flour
4 t cinnamon
½ c sourdough
¼ c cilantro, chopped
4 eggs
½ t salt
2 t pepper

garlic sauce:
2 t coriander
3 cloves garlic
16 threads saffron
2 T oil
2 t cumin
2 T vinegar

[snipped] Crush the garlic in a garlic press, combine with vinegar and
oil, beat together to make sauce. Combine the flour, sourdough, eggs,
spices and beat with a fork to a uniform batter. Fry in about ¼ c oil in
a 9” frying pan at medium high temperature until brown on both sides,
turning once. Add more oil as necessary. Drain on a paper towel. Serve
with sauce. Note: The ingredients for the sauce are from “A Type of
Ahrash [Isfîriyâ]” (p. 96) which is from the same cookbook. What is done
with them is pure conjecture.

How to Milk an Almond Stuff an Egg And Armor a Turnip: A Thousand Years
of Recipes
By David Friedman and Elizabeth Cook ISBN: 978-1-460-92498-3
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/To_Milk_an_Almond.pdf