<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Thank you for your many replies. Poha is pounded rice, and can be used as an oatmeal substitute, although it is apparently quite bland. Some have used it in cookie recipies and in meat loaf. It is recommended that the poha be soaked for about five minutes in water before using it in recipies, because it has a tendency to be sharp otherwise. However, if you want to use them as a crunchy topping to casseroles or crisps, then don't pre-soak. ------ Matzo summary: Below are the following recipies suggested. I have so far tried the one with cream of rice and the one using the potato pancake mix and have had poor success with both. Most of it just disintegrates into the water. One of our members just posted a request for a Matzo Ball Soup, which one can make using either Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix or Carmel Potato Pancake Mix. I made mine with Manischewitz, and it was a hit amongst the gluten-eating faction. Here's how it's done: Beat two eggs well in a bowl. Mix with 12 ounces cold water. Then add the contents of the bag and stir until batter is well mixed. Let stand for about 15 minutes, then form the batter into balls. You can steam in a double boiler, or you can drop in lightly salted boiling water and cook at a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Add to your favorite kosher chicken broth, and voila', you gots soup! Cecilia Vohl Cecilia's Gluten-Free Grocery Web site: http://www.glutenfreegrocery.com E-mail: [log in to unmask] Phone: (775) 827-0672 The Gluten free Pantry Companion Connie's Un-Matzo Balls 4 eggs 3 TBSP rendered chicken fat,softened* 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp xanthan gum 1 cup instant potatoes 4 TBSP chicken stock *if starting with homemade soup, scoop the fat from the top of chilled soup 1. Beat eggs with chicken fat 2. Combine egg mixture and salt, xanthan gum and instant potatoes. Add chicken stock and chill for 20-30 minutes. 3. Wet hands. Use teaspoons to help form rounded balls and drop onto a plate or use an ice cream scoop to scoop mixture onto plates. 4. Steam balls on a steaming ring in a wok. (to make a quick steamer: Use a large skillet that's fitted with a cover. Fill skillet with about 3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil. Set a clean tuna can, or English muffin ring in the middle of the pan. Set plate on ring and cover skillet.) Allow balls to steam, cover for about 20 minutes. OR Drop un-matzo balls into simmering chicken soup and cook covered for 20 minutes. (I use boiling water with gf chicken bouillon cubes.) Recipe notes that better results come from steaming first and then adding balls to soup. Here's an easier solution....buy Peskaz brand (Brooklyn, NY) Pesach crumbs (non gebrot, whatever that means) made with potato starch and eggs which is GF...makes the best "matzah" balls. You have to buy it yesterday, because it sells out very quickly in your kosher butcher shop or supermarket that carries kosher for passover foods. I stock up for a few years at a time and store the unopened boxes in the freezer. Also Kedem make gefilte fish without matzah meal that is GF and I stock up on that too. I just saw your post. last year I found something called Knaidel Mix by Lieber's. I found it in a Kosher Supermarket. It was not in any of our "regular" supermarkets. Anyway, it says Kosher for Passover - Non Gebrokts (contains no Matzo Meal). May I suggest purchasing the Spice & Spirit Passover cookbook. (Chabad has two cookbooks, a big purple one for the rest of the year, and a smaller yellow one for Pesach.) Since the Lubavitch, like most Chassidim, keep non-gebrokhts for the first 7 days of Pesach, practically everything in the cookbook is GF and the recipes are reliable. Betty Hagman has a recipe in her book The Gluten Free Gourmet Eats Light and Healthy. The recipe calls for crushed almonds and cinnamon. I tried that cream of rice recipe for matzo balls too, and could not get it to work. I modified a recipe from the Gluten Free Pantry, called Connie's unmatzah balls, and it worked, was tasty, and my son, who is a very fussy eater, liked them as well as the gluten-full matza balls. Here's the recipe: 3 eggs. 2 tbsp rendered chicken fat, softened, 1 tsp salt (could use a little less), sprinkle pepper, sprinkle onion powder, 1/4 tsp guar gum, 1 cup instant potatoes (I used Betty Crocker Potato Buds, which I confirmed with the company is GF), 1-2 tbsp chicken stock. Mix everything together. Let sit in refridgerator at least 20 minutes. Cook, covered, in chicken broth on a slow boil for about 20 minutes. The cooked balls also keep in the refidgerator really well to be used another day. Hope you enjoy them. Hi... I found this recipe in the archives... it works pretty well, make sure the soup is boiling so the balls stay together. Jody ps it does have baking powder in it. Last Passover I was discussing the matzoh ball dilemma (or k'neilach, as we always called them) w/my mom. She mentioned in passing that she knew some women who used Cream of Wheat cereal instead of the more traditional matzoh meal. I decided to try this, with a cream of RICE type cereal. The results were EXCELLENT. They really tasted and felt right. This is a small recipe. No reason it couldn't be doubled. 1/2 C Cream of Rice (type) cereal (not sure of gf status of C of R) pinch salt 1 egg 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 TBL oil Mix these ingredients and cover the bowl. Let rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. With wet or oiled hands, form into small balls and drop into boiling water or soup. Boil, covered, for 35-45 minutes. I've been told the best product is one made by Paschez called Pesach Crumbs. There's supposedly a recipe on the container to make "matzoh" balls and all claim they're fabulous. Unfortunately, the stores near me don't carry it and I waited too long to order before Pesach began. I'm still going to try to get some. You can try making potato kneidlach or potato dumplings instead of matzoh balls. I thought the following email that was sent to the group several months ago might be helpful to you. > Matzo Balls are of course the trickiest. Several people told me about > Matzo balls from the potato pancake mixes (like Carmel) but only a few > liked them. > > Linda G. and Marcy both said there's a great recipe from Paskez > Passover crumbs on the box. Also, Bette Hagman's mock matzo ball > recipe, from ground almonds, a few matzo ball recipes and other Jewish > recipes in the archives, like this one > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9604A&Liliac&P=R308 > > Bev says to use the Manischevitz potato pancake mix add about 1/4 gf > breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes "and drop by very large > tablespoonfuls into hot soup or water." Don't make them too small or > they fall apart. > > Marian makes them from 1/2 C cream of rice cereal, 1 T oil, 1/2 t > baking powder and 1 egg. Fridge for 30 and into boiling water. Better > if they are left overnight in the chicken soup broth. > > >Hope this helps. Reushann Cox