You may think – “Well, I’m cutting histamine out of the diet, I really can’t get rid of anything else!”. So, you might not have to, many of us don’t have to, but we chose to, simply because wheat is inflammatory, specifically triggering inflammatory pathways related to mast cells [1].

In my view there is no one perfect gluten free flour, but this one is a great addition to my baking arsenal.

Cyperus esculents – also known as tigernut, chufa, or  nutgrass, is a sedge (which resemble grass), native to southern Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Africa and India, among others. From this plant grows a tuber, kind of resembling a sweet potato and little nut like growths that to me resemble dried mulberries. Tiger nut is high in iron, magnesium and a number of amino acids [2].

In Spain we make a sweet milky drink called horchata de chufa.

Tiger nut uses: 

Dairy free milk

Soup thickener

Flour: it has a lovely nutty taste and is quite sweet.

According to the studies I read:

Essential oil of tiger nut is a potent anti-inflammatory that may be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis, and just generally as a painkiller and an anti-convulstant [3].

In ayurvedic medicine tiger nuts are used in the treatment of flatulence, diarrhoea, dysentery, debility and indigestion [4].

While doing my usual research into tiger nuts, which consists of in vitro and in vivo studies – meaning done in test tubes and on animals rather than humans, I came across a number of studies on cyperus rotundus, another sedge in the Cyperaceae family.

Sadly, it’s apparently quite bitter, which is why it’s not used for food, but I found these studies interesting none the less as this sedge has been used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese remedies.

You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

This sedge possessess anti-histamine/anti-allergic activity by inhibiting nitric oxide (this is a big deal for those of us with mast cells) [5]. It can also inhibit mast cell degranulation [6] And an essential oil extracted from it may help treat candida.

I first came across tigernut flour a few years ago in France, where I am again now. I don’t know if it’s just the brand that I buy out here, but it’s a wee bit gritty, something like milled flax seed, but the six people who ate my pancakes this morning said it was perfectly acceptable and that the pancakes were absolutely delicious.

I find it best to mix together a few flours when baking gluten free. You may have a different way of going about it, so just go ahead and do what works for you. My intention here is just to share a little info on a high nutrient flour alternative. The commonly used gluten free alternatives really don’t do it for me since they are pretty inflammatory themselves (things like corn and rice).

You can sub any flour, dairy free milk, sweetener, oil or fruit for something you prefer. This is the case with all my recipes! They’re not meant to be followed to the T – it’s about sharing nutritional details with you to help you create a diet that works for you.

These pancakes can be made egg free by substituting them with chickpea or other bean water. Check out my other post on it here. 

Gluten and dairy free tigernut flour pancakes with blueberry, ginger and turmeric sauce

Ingredients:

Pancakes
1/3 cup tigernut flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 eggs or 6 tbsp chickpea or other bean water
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp raw organic vanilla powder

optional
2-4 tbsp fresh ground flax seeds

Sauce
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp date syrup or coconut sugar
1/2 lime or lemon squeezed
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1/2 tbsp grated turmeric
pinch salt

Directions:

Pancakes

Heat a little oil of your choice in a pan.

Combine the pancake ingredients and whisk and use a ladle to pour a little batter into the pan. Once bubbles begin to form, flip over using a spatula till you finish the batter.

Sauce

Place all the sauce ingredients in a small pot and add in about 1/2 cup of water. Bring to the boil and then lower to a simmer. The sauce is done once it has reduced and is a little gluey.

Serve with the pancakes.

 

Please remember, even antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods can hurt us, please always exercise caution and consult a medical practitioner before adding new foods. 

———– REFERENCES ————

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705319/

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyperus_esculentus

[3] http://www.bioline.org.br/request?nd11060

[4] http://www.scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ajar.2011.56.66

[5] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007 s12272-011-0207-z

[6] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1211/jpp.58.4.0010/abstract

[7] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874104005781