Semolina is flour made from durum wheat. When hard wheat is ground, the endosperm — the floury part of the grain — is broken into its two parts, the surrounding aleurone with its proteins and mineral salts and the main floury mass, likewise called the endosperm, which consists of the gluten protein that offers hard wheat its special properties for making great pasta.
Semolina is a kind of wheat and for that reason not safe for those who follow a gluten-free diet. The Food Allergen Identifying and Consumer Defense Act, which went into impact in 2012, states processors need to identify wheat in common terms.
Is Semolina Gluten Free?
That suggests, the label should now check out: semolina (wheat), which is the way I would believe processors do it. Or they may use the expression “includes wheat” listed below the active ingredients list.
Wheat kernels consist of 3 parts: the outer coating referred to as bran, the germ part which contains the plant embryo and the endosperm that comprises as much as 80 percent of the kernel.
Wheat is milled to separate these parts and recombine them in various methods to develop a range of flours. Semolina flour is manufactured by coarsely grinding the endosperm of a type of hard spring wheat referred to as durum. Semolina flour is considered a high-gluten item.
Durum wheat is a difficult golden grain and the semolina flour derived from this grain is hard and granular, with a consistency just like that of sugar. Semolina flour is not an excellent choice for basic bread baking, but is sometimes used in specialized breads.
More frequently, semolina flour is used to produce couscous dishes or pasta products, consisting of macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli and lasagna noodles.
What Foods Have Semolina Flour?
Semolina flour is known for its coarseness, but it is available in a range of fine and coarse textures. The size of semolina particles has an unique result on foods — for example, it can impact the flexibility of foods like pasta or the ultimate color of a dish. Thanks to these qualities, semolina is used in a range of different foods, including in traditional Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern food. You’ll often find it in pastries, pastas and pizzas. Semolina is also the main active ingredient used to make couscous. It can even be utilized to provide particular foods a great crispy texture — you can use it to crust even the softest foods, like aubergine, paneer or squid. You might discover semolina in soups or stews, since it can be used as a thickening agent.
Since durum wheat is semolina’s source, this item is not ideal for people who need to follow a gluten-free diet. If you’re searching for flour like semolina, but a gluten-free variation, there are several alternatives readily available. Nevertheless, these alternatives will differ based upon what you’re cooking. There are also products called semolina flour made from gluten-free items like rice and corn (referred to as rice semolina and cornmeal semolina). Nevertheless, these are not the same or similar to traditional semolina — if anything, their names are just a referral to the textural similarities of these items.
Gluten-Free Semolina Flour Alternatives
There are numerous gluten-free alternatives to semolina flour. If you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten level of sensitivity and are attempting to bake bread, make gluten-free pasta or produce a thick, hearty chowder, try these options rather:
- Amaranth flour: This seed-based flour is filled with nutrients. It has 10 to 24 percent more protein than semolina flour and 15 to 30 percent more fiber. It ends up softer than semolina flour when prepared, so you might prefer to utilize amaranth flour as a thickening agent, instead of in bread or pasta.
- Buckwheat flour: This protein-rich, gluten-free flour is one of the most common alternatives to semolina flour. It can be utilized in pancakes, pasta and all sorts of baked items. It’s cooking properties are most similar to standard flour, but you might not like its dark color. However, this can be quickly changed by blending in a bit of amaranth or rice flour.
- Garbanzo flour: Otherwise known as chickpea flour or gram flour, garbanzo flour is a great alternative to semolina flour. It’s especially well matched to numerous dishes from Indian cuisines.
- Rice flour: Ground raw rice is used to make rice noodles in lots of Asian foods. Although the taste is rather unique from conventional flour, it has a light texture that makes it well-suited for noodles and baked products.
- Potato starch flour: This can be utilized as a thickening agent, integrated with other gluten-free alternatives and used to make foods crispy. Unlike other gluten-free alternatives, it doesn’t have an especially unique taste, so you can utilize it freely.
There are a large range of other gluten-free options to semolina flour available, consisting of arrowroot, millet, oat flour, sorghum flour and tapioca starch. The most convenient method to discover a suitable option for your cooking requires is to understand what the active ingredient is being utilized for in a meal. From there, you can quickly discover a gluten-free option based your specific requirements.
Health Benefits of Semolina
A coarsely ground grain made from wheat, semolina makes routine looks in pastas, couscous and bread, as well as in breakfast cereals, such as Cream of Wheat.
Like other wheat grains, semolina includes gluten, that makes it unsafe for those struggling with celiac disease or a gluten level of sensitivity. Nevertheless, if you can include semolina in your diet, you’ll gain the health advantages of its nutrient content.
Nutritional Info Semolina Flour
A quarter-cup serving of dry semolina consists of 150 calories — 10 percent of the everyday energy intake in a 1,500-calorie diet or 8 percent in a 2,000-calorie diet. Most of these calories — around three-quarters — come from semolina’s carbohydrate content.
These carbohydrates function as a rich source of fuel for your tissues. A serving of semolina also consists of 5.3 grams of protein, which nourishes your skin and muscles. Semolina is naturally low in fat, and each serving consists of roughly one-half of a fat gram.
B-Complex Vitamins in Semolina
Semolina increases your intake of a number of B-complex vitamins, specifically folate and thiamin. Collectively, B-complex vitamins support your metabolic process and guarantee that you can transform food into useable energy.
Thiamin likewise also helps your brain and nerves work appropriately, while folate supports red blood cell production. A serving of semolina boasts 109 micrograms of folate — roughly one-quarter of your consumption requirement– in addition to 28 percent of the suggested everyday thiamin consumption for men and 31 percent for women, set by the Institute of Medicine.
Selenium in Semolina
Consume semolina as a source of selenium. Your body uses selenium– in combination with other nutrients, including vitamin E– as an anti-oxidant. This indicates that it avoids harmful oxidation of your cell membranes and DNA (don’t despair), which would otherwise add to illness, consisting of heart disease.
Getting enough selenium in your diet likewise strengthens your immune system to prevent infection. A serving of semolina offers 37 micrograms of selenium, or two-thirds of your daily consumption, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine.
Iron in Semolina
Including semolina to your diet likewise helps you reach your day-to-day recommended iron intake. Each serving offers 1.8 milligrams of iron– 10 percent of the intake requirement for women and 23 percent for men, set by the Institute of Medicine.
Taking in a diet rich in iron advantages your circulation, due to the fact that your red blood cells — the cells entrusted with distributing oxygen in your blood stream– require iron to work. Iron also helps your cells produce the fuel they require for daily functioning.
Semolina and Gluten-free Diet: Questions & Answers
Is semolina healthier than flour?
As we mentioned, it’s considered a high-protein flour (21 grams of protein per cup vs 16 grams of protein per cup for regular flour, per the USDA) and it likewise loads greater concentrations of minerals like iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus.
Potassium helps move nutrients into your cells and helps keep your heart beat routine, while phosphorus helps the body break down carbs and fats and keeps your kidneys in good shape.
Can coeliacs eat semolina?
No, people with coeliac disease should avoid semolina barley, wheat, rye, couscous and semolina as they contain gluten.
Does semolina cause weight gain?
According to the USDA data, a 100-gram of unenriched semolina consists of almost 360 calories and absolutely no cholesterol. If you wish to use semolina in order to slim down quickly you must be mindful about which type semolina flour they are choosing up from the market. This is due to the fact that the semolina they choose might have been made from refined flour, which does not have much fiber in it, or it may be made from entire wheat, which is healthier. So, ensure you make the right choice and get just high fiber suji.
We recommend consuming semolina together with either a protein source like milk or matching it with fibrous foods like veggies. So, if you love eating meals made from semolina, then include great deals of protein-rich and high-fiber foods to it like sprouts and black chana.
