First things first, what is masa harina? Loosely translated, masa harina means dough flour. It is a very common ingredient used in Latin American food.
Dried masa is made from corn Kernels. Corn is the main ingredient. To make it, they cook corn flour with lime solution and hot water. Thereafter, they dry it. This makes is nixtamalized corn.
The slacked lime juice gives masa harina a distinctive flavor. To use the masa, you need to mix it with oil and water so as to form the masa dough.
Alternatively, you can make masa harina by using a food processor to grind corn into a fine powder. Once the purpose flour is fine, you soak in lime water and a little bit of oil to it. Unfortunately, using this method gets rid of the nutrients.
The process of making masa harina can be quite daunting. First, you would need to soak the corn in an alkaline agent. This would allow the end product to have a great taste. In most instances, one would soak the corn in calcium hydroxide. It is often referred to as Slaked Lime.
People use masa harina to make traditional tortillas, tamales, corn chips and several other Mexican dishes. It is a must have if you are a lover of Latin American cuisine like I am.
Contrary to common belief, masa harina is actually a very versatile ingredient. It is also used in American dishes. You can use it to thicken sauces.
It actually works way better than ground corn meal and regular flour because of its distinctive flavor. Similar to wheat flour, it can be white in color. You can also use it to make cornbread and pasta.
Also, Check out: 5 Food Mill Substitutes
Making masa harina is such a difficult task, even for me. It requires so much time and attention to detail.
Luckily, there are several other things that can substitute masa harina. So just in case, you do not feel up to the task, you can opt to use these options instead.
Cornmeal, fresh masa, corn starch, ground corn tortillas, grits, masa preparada, polenta, ground arrowroot, ground corn taco shells, and ground corn tortilla chips are good substitutes for masa harina.
Related Posts. Click below to read.
10 Best Substitutes for Masa Harina
Being able to replace ingredients in dishes with something else is a blessing. Imagine living in a world where you can’t substitute one thing for another, tragic! I love a good Mexican cuisine. Therefore, using masa harina to make my tortillas is always a delight.
Unfortunately, I may not always have in hand thus the need to substitute it with something else. There is no need to panic when you run out of masa harina yet you can easily replace it with something else.
With the different options, you need to be creative in order to achieve the flavor that you want. Below are a few good masa harina substitutes. I have personally tried them all and I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.
- Cornmeal
Cornmeal is a great substitute for masa harina, and the best thing about it is that you can find it in any grocery store near you. Both white and yellow corn meal flour makes for a perfect substitute. You can also use dent corn. Cornmeal is made from corn and they have several similar characteristics apart from the texture.
Cornmeal and masa harina have different textures. Masa harina has a fine texture whereas cornmeal has a coarse texture. To get the best results when using cornmeal as a substitute for masa harina, I recommend mixing it with flour.
If your Mexican recipes require you to use 2 cups of masa harina, use one cup of cornmeal mixed with flour. Be sure to mix the cornmeal and flour in the ratio 2:1. You can also add a little bit of lime to your dish to achieve a flavor similar to that of masa harina.
- Fresh Masa
Masa is actually the prepared dough used to make masa harina. That makes it a good masa harina substitute. Fresh masa is not as readily available as the other substitutes.
If you manage to get it, then you are in luck. Most people allege that fresh masa makes better tortillas and tamales compared to masa harina.
Use the fine masa to make corn tortillas and the course masa to make tamales. You should remember to add kosher salt. It is actually easier to cook using fresh masa because it is already a dough. Therefore, all you need to do is roll it out and cook. Pretty convenient, right?
Fresh masa does not last for as long as masa harina does. So make sure it is still safe to use before using it. Your tamales and tortillas will never be the same when you use fresh masa. You’ll love how they’ll turn out.
- Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a must-have in every kitchen. I always have some on hand. Cornstarch is a type of flour that can be used instead of masa flour. Cornstarch and masa harina do not have the same texture. Cornstarch is a little bit finer compared to masa harina.
Most people use cornstarch to thicken soups. It is a white powder that can be used. For this reason, I recommend using cornstarch as a substitute when you want to thicken your soup using masa harina and you have none in hand.
When using cornstarch, mix it with a cup of cold water. You may use 2 tablespoons of corn starch in place of 6 tables spoons of flour. This way, your soup won’t have lumps in it. Next time you’re making Mexican soup and you do not have any masa harina in hand, use cornstarch instead.
- Flour
Just like cornstarch, flour is one of the best masa harina substitutes. Being a common ingredient that is readily available makes it the go-to alternative when you do not have masa harina in hand.
However, it is important to note that various types of flour do not have the same taste as masa harina. It may thicken your soup but the taste won’t be as amazing.
When using flour as a substitute, add it bit by bit to your soup until you achieve the thickness that you want.
- Ground corn tortillas
Yes, ground tortillas are a great substitute for masa harina.
All you need to do is pop some field corn tortillas into your food processor and grind until they form a fine flour. The type of flour is a great alternative to masa harina.
I recommend using non-flavored tortillas because the flavored ones will definitely overpower your dish and make a much difference in the flavor- you do not want that to happen.
Ground fresh corn tortillas work in the best way as a thickening agent because tortillas have some other ingredients in them.
- Corn Grits
Grits are my second go to substitute after fresh masa. Since grits are made from dried corn flour, they are a great option to use.
Most companies use American corn to make grits so the taste may be a little bit different from that of masa harina. Grits also have a coarse texture which is different from the texture of masa harina. However one can find coarser masa harina in the market.
However, you can still use it as a substitute and it would taste almost the same as masa harina.
To use grits as a substitute for masa harina, place them in a food processor and grind to make the texture a bit similar to that of masa harina. Then make a corn dough and prepare your Italian dish.
- Masa preparada
Masa preparada is simply a better version of masa harina. And it is definitely easier to prepare compared to masa harina.
Although it is a great substitute, fresh mesa preparada is expensive compared to all the other substitutes. However, it is worth every coin.
- Polenta
Just like grits, polenta is a decent substitute when used as a thickening agent. It has similar thickening property of masa harina.
Polenta (which originated from Northern Italy) is made from cornmeal- the staple ingredient, but it also has other ingredients like millet, chestnut, and farrow among others. It has a texture similar to that of masa harina and an amazing flavor as well.
You can buy dry polenta in any Mexican grocery stores near you. Some varieties are coarse while others are fine. It is really up to you to decide which one you like best.
What is a suitable polenta substitute? Click to read.
- Ground arrowroot
Ground arrowroot is yet another great alternative. It has a similar texture to masa harina but the flavor is a little bit different from the distinctive flavor of masa harina.
For this reason, be sure you like the flavor of the arrowroot powder before using it.
Arrowroot flour works great as a soup thickener. I recommend adding it bit by bit to your soup until you achieve the thickness that you desire.
- Ground corn taco shells and ground corn tortilla chips
Corn taco shells and corn tortilla chips can be used in place of masa harina when you grind them. Since they are obviously made from corn, the flavor is quite similar to that of masa harina.
Some even have masa harina as one of the primary ingredient. Make sure you buy the ones that have masa harina listed as one of the ingredients.
Simply place your corn taco shells and corn tortilla chips into a food processor and grind them. You’ll end up with a fine mixture that is quite similar to masa harina.
You can use ground corn taco shells and ground corn tortilla chips as a flour ingredient where a recipe calls for masa harina or as a thickening agent in Mexican soups.
Conclusion
Incase you miss your bag of masa harina, you may want to find a replacement when preparing different recipes.
Maybe you are on a budget and you need to use something less expensive, or your local grocery store does not have any in stock, or maybe you just want to experiment with something else.
Whatever the reason, these options may just be exactly what you need. You may even end up deciding to use them instead of masa harina in the long run.
Try these substitutes and let me know how your dishes, such as corn tostadas turn out. Crossing my fingers that you’ll like the outcome.
