Cornstarch and egg batter

Cornstarch, which is made by grinding up the center of a corn kernel, is a white powder used to thicken sauces, soups, gravies, and even custards. Cornstarch is easy to use and has the seemingly magical power to give foods a glossy finish. If you cornstarch and egg batter you have no cornstarch hiding in the back of your kitchen cabinets, don’t stress. Healthline notes that you can always use plain old wheat flour instead.

Like with cornstarch, you’ll want to combine your flour with some cold water until you have a smooth and lump-free paste. Epicurious shares that when you use any type of flour as a substitute for cornstarch, you won’t necessarily get that shine cornstarch adds to a dish. Healthline suggests substituting 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, while Epicurious recommends upping that to 3 tablespoons, so use your best judgement depending on what you’re making. If you don’t have any wheat flour either, no problem. You can also use arrowroot as a cornstarch substitute. Arrowroot is also a white powder, but it is derived from tropical plants.