So- with a bit of our life squared away, hopefully I’ll be able to get some serious work done on my dissertation and even find time to develop new recipes here. You may have seen my old recipe for A gluten-free wholegrain Indian Naan. It called for yogurt, greek yogurt specifically (European yogurt is too runny). But this wouldn’t work for anyone on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet, and my little dairy-free Toddler Yum couldn’t have it either. I thought it would be interesting to play with the flour blend more, and to try using coconut cream instead of yogurt. To supplement the coconut milk, I used the new Pacific original hazelnut milk which they sent me to review. (Toddler Yum is a big fan of the stuff, and I don’t mind it even though I don’t generally care for hazelnuts.) To my delight, it worked perfectly and might even be better than the original! It went beautifully with some of my favorite toor dal (I use peanut oil, coconut oil, or mustard oil instead of ghee to make the Ghee Tarka variation). These naan can also be sliced in half and filled with whatever filling you like. This makes a small but filling recipe that is hardly more difficult than pancakes and a lot more interesting! *Note: because I have an annoying gas oven, it is hard to estimate how long it would take on an electric oven. Start with the given time and then, if it isn’t done enough, extend (non broiler) baking time in five minute increments.

Gluten-free Dairy Free Wholegrain Coconut Naan Bread  Alternative Grains  Indian

Ingredients 1/2 Cup Brown rice flour 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1/2 cup tapioca starch 1/2 cup sweet rice flour 3 tbsp. amaranth flour 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons dried active yeast 1 can full-fat coconut milk WITHOUT thickeners like Chaokoh (chilled but NOT shaken) 1/2 cup hazelnut or other non-dairy milk 1 egg, whisked Directions Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 500F. Combine dry ingredient in a medium-large bowl from brown rice flour through baking powder, and whisk to combine. Collect the coconut CREAM that has risen to the top of the chilled coconut milk can first in a liquid measuring cup. I use a large spoon but you may also have good luck with a small spatula. For the last bit I poured the milk through a fine strainer and collected the cream remained on top of the strainer. I had about 3/4 cup coconut cream in my can. Combine thin coconut milk with hazelnut milk or other non dairy milk to have a cup of liquid. Warm the thin liquid in a microwave until barely warm. If you heat it so that it is hot rather than warm, just let it sit until lukewarm. Whisk sugar into your warm dairy-free milk and then add your yeast. When it foams, pour into your bowl with the dry ingredients. Then add your coconut cream and whisked egg and fold together. You should have a fairly thick batter that is not runny but not firm enough to pick up with your hands. Spoon out large rounds of dough onto your parchment paper about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch high. (Or smaller, to your preference. Larger may be difficult to manage.) Smooth out top with a large spoon. If you like you can dampen your hands with water and make the tops really silky and smooth. Bake in the oven on 500F until golden brown. In my rather freakish gas oven, it took about 15 minutes but yours may take less time so watch carefully. Then I finished them off under the broiler for a little extra browning. Watch them like a hawk during this step! Golden brown is one thing and char-grilled is quite another. Notes These were amazingly soft and fluffy. The coconut flavor was nice and subtle without overpowering the recipe, and I was surprised by how nice the touch of amaranth was for making them taste whole-grain. Yummy with toor dal!!!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  modified version of my dairy whole-grain naan recipe, but a new creation. Please do not replicate without my permission Recipe ID:  1583 Added:  January 5, 2012 Last Modified:  January 6, 2012

I am very pleased to enter this flatbread recipe in Bread Baking Day, with its theme of “small breads.” Enjoy more of the Book of Yum’s Indian Food Recipes and Reviews

Looking for more gluten-free flatbread recipes?

Try Ginger Lemon Girl’s Millet Flatbread

Kate’s GF Mock lavash Bread

or

Naomi’s Sweet Potato Pita

Gluten-Free Naan / Roti – Indian Flat Bread (Gluten-Free) Bread  Alternative Grains  Indian

Ingredients 1 cup tepid milk (i used soy milk, but any kind of milk is fine) 1/2 cup brown rice flour (superfine) 1/2 cup white rice flour 1/2 cup sweet rice flour 3 tbsp. teff flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons dried active yeast 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 cup or more plain/natural yogurt 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon xanthan gum Directions In a bowl mix tepid milk with 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast, then sit bowl in warm place for 4-5 minutes. Sift the flours, Xanthan gum, salt, baking powder into a bowl or food mixer. Add remaining sugar, oil, yogurt, egg and mix until smooth. Preheat oven to the highest setting. Make dough into 6 equal sized balls. Roll out balls into round shapes that are about 1/4 in. thick .[my note: I rolled the dough out on parchment paper- you can then peel off parchment paper after transferring or bake directly on paper. I also put my hand inside a small plastic ziploc to pat out the dough rather than using a rolling pin, using liberal amounts of extra teff flour to decrease stickiness.] Preheat a heavy baking tray in oven to 550 or so. Remove tray and put the naan on it [on or off of parchment paper]. Return to the oven for 3 mins, or until the naan puffs up and turns light brown. Place tray under the broiler 30 seconds to 1 minute for extra browning. (my oven only heats to 550 and the first time it took me more like 5 minutes or six to get it brown. But then the second time i almost burned it, so watch it carefully. My hubby liked it better the browner it got.)

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Heavily modified from recipe at gluten-free mall. My own creation, please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1258 Added:  June 27, 2008 Last Modified:  June 27, 2008

India is one of the best places in the world for vegetarians, as caste and religion informs many aspects of diet, including vegetarianism. Vegetarian food is referred to simply as “veg” and non-vegetarian food is referred to as “non veg.” Simple enough, right? The tricky part may come into play for vegans, as veganism is not a natural part of the “veg” dietary scheme. There is a delineation for a “true veg” but this just means someone who doesn’t eat eggs. It may be difficult to explain a vegan diet to restaurants, and dairy products including ghee, butter, milk, cream, curd (yogurt) and paneer cheese are found in many, maybe even most, dishes. The Lonely Planet recommends street vendors as a source of food, but this may be problematic for those who must also follow a gluten-free diet. One food which immediately comes to my mind is the simple idli, a steamed rice and urad dal cake, paired with sambar soup and coconut chutney. This should be suitable for vegans and those who are gluten free (just avoid rava idli!!! rava=semolina/wheat), but many of the delightful dry and gravy “curries” will contain dairy. Nut allergies would also be tricky in India, as some sauces rely on the cashew nut or peanut for their body and flavor. Unfortunately it is often difficult to discuss allergies with servers, as even someone quite fluent in English might not be well versed in “wheat, rye, oats, or barley.” Here is a very good article about dealing with allergies in India.

Items on the Menu likely to be Gluten-Free
*barring gluten elements in spice mixes, and cross contamination factors. One unavoidable issue with ground spices and flours (even GF ones) in India is that they may be ground on a mill shared with gluten flours. This also applies to imports… Asafoetida is a spice that contains either rice or wheat flour and should be avoided if possible. Read comments for where you might find this ingredient, and check out this interesting article on asafoetida/hing.

Rice Dishes
“People often can’t differentiate between biryani, fried rice, and pulao. ‘For the first, one needs to fry the rice first, in the second the cooked rice is fried with the other sautéed ingredients. In the pulao, everything is cooked together.’”(source:hinduonnet article)

Pulao is a rice pilaf that is probably gluten-free but unlikely to be dairy free.
Variations: Jeera Pulao is a Jeera (Cumin seed) pilaf dish. Recipe for Jeera Pulao. Paneer Pulao is a pilaf dish made with homemade Indian paneer cheese.

Vegetable Handi Biryani is a heavily spiced Punjabi rice dish. Often served with salan, a spicy thick chutney/gravy like sauce, and raita, a cooling yogurt sauce, often with cucumber or other fruits and vegetables. Apparently “A traditional Hyderabadi salan is made in a shallow wide flat bottomed handi. The salan is a sealed in this handi and kept on low fire to cook with all the flavours trapped inside to give that authentic rich taste.”(source: tarladalal.com) tomato salan recipe. Various raita recipes.

Curd Rice seems to be a Southern rice dish made with liberal amounts of yogurt and other dairy products. Spices and additions seem to be a matter of the creativity of the chef, but this simple recipe evokes nostalgia for many bloggers.
Curd Rice at IndiaCuisine. Curd Rice Recipe from Vineela.

Vegetable Dishes
Aloo Jeera is a delicious dish of aloo (potatoes) seasoned with jeera (cumin). It goes well with rice and is highly likely to be gluten-free, barring any suspicious spice mixtures added. Here’s another simple Aloo Jeera recipe, as well as an authentic Punjabi version from Sanjeev Kapoor

Aloo Mutter, or aloo (potatoes) with mutter (green peas) is a tasty, and hearty dish that should be safe, with the usual caveats. Aloo Mutter Recipe.

Aloo Gobhi is a recipe for aloo (potatoes) with gobhi (cauliflower) in a spicy, flavorful sauce. Ahaar’s recipe for Aloo Gobhi. Here’s a recipe by our own Gluten Free by the Bay

Bhindi Do Pyaza is a dish of Bhindi (okra/ ladyfingers) with “Do pyaza” (twice the amount of onion than you might find in other dishes). A Okra with Onions recipe with yogurt.

Dairy-centric Dishes
Paneer Tikka is a snack of marinated, spiced paneer coated in yogurt cooked in a tandoor that is often associated with Punjab cuisine. This appetizer looks so tasty I can’t wait to try it, and seems to not usually be coated in flour, although you should always check with your server.Gorgeous and Tasty Paneer Tikka recipe from the Manpasand blog. And, another Paneer Tikka Recipe.

Paneer Makhani is a recipe for paneer (homemade cheese) simmered in a rich, creamy buttery sauce (makhani) that often has a tomato component. Not exactly low calorie but likely to be gluten free and very decadent. Paneer Makhani Recipe from Arad-daagh an unconventional low-fat recipe for Paneer Makhani from Archana And a recipe for paneer makhani from a Bangalore local!

Soup (Shorba in North India)
Tomato Shorba a tomato water soup which may or may not contain coconut milk but may contain ghee. It does not seem to usually be thickened with flour, although I found one recipe calling for a tablespoon of besan (chickpea flour). Tamater ka shorba recipe Variations: Tomato Dhaniya Shorba: Dhaniya=coriander, so it may have fresh cilantro or coriander seeds added to the soup.

Dal/dhal/dahl/daal is “a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared from pulses [lentils]. . . In South India dal is used to make the [spicy] stew/veg soup called sambar. The word Dal derives from the Sanskrit term to split.” (Source: Wikipedia, Dal entry)

Variations:Yellow Dal Tadka Tadka/ tarka (or chaunk/baghar) is a combination of (regionally determined) spices fried in oil. Spices may include: “cumin, chili/cayenne powder, onion, mustard seeds and garlic, asafoetida, fresh or dried chili pods, cilantro, garam masala and cumin seeds.” Like with some chutney preparations, the tadka oil is poured over the cooked dal for serving. (Source: Wikipedia, Dal entry) Fabulous Video and Yellow Dall Tadka recipe

Variations:Dal Makhani (see entry for Paneer Makhani, above). Hearty Dal Makhani from the Punjabi region is composed of black lentils and red kidney beans in a creamy butter, onions, tomatoes, and ginger-garlic sauce. A lighter recipe for Dal Makhani (use lowfat yogurt).

Non-Veg Menu Items of interest to a Pescatarian:
Achari Fish Tikka (boneless fish marinated in yoghurt and pickle spices), Ajwani Fish Tikka (traditional fish tikka with ajwain), Pomfret Amritsari (pomfret fish with the chef’s secret spices) and Tandoori Goalda Chingri (tiger prawns in traditional kebab spices).

Veg Seekh Kabab, a grilled or fried vegetable mash on a kabob. Recipe for Veg Seekh Kabab Note the usage of corn flour, which in British usage may indicate any “regular” flour, including WHEAT flour but alternatively might indicate corn flour or cornstarch. It is probably best to ask your server about this dish, and if possible to provide an allergy dining card. Other recipes I found online called for breadcrumbs or Rawa/Rava (Semolina=Wheat) flour coating.

Hara Bhara Kabab, a fried vegetable mash with potato and spinach as the main ingredients. Has same issues as the Veg Seekh Kabab- may be dusted in flour or breadcrumbs and possibly fried in a gluten-contaminated fryer. Hara Bhara Kabab Recipe

Harechanna Ka Kabab refers to a kind of green gram/dal/lentil vegetable kabob that may have potato and possibly paneer in some permutations. As with the other veg. kabobs, may be dusted with flour or deep fried. Green Channa Kabab Recipe

[Note: according to Aayi, if you are in Bangalore "don’t miss the “Jolad rotti oota” in Kamat Minerva (at Minerva circle). The taste is superb there. They serve jowar roti with 2-3 sides, one of them is always ‘Ennegayi (stuffed brinjal)‘, and butter." I am dying to find out if they are truly gluten free..]

Southern Indian cuisine also offers some naturally gluten free “bread” options, although they do not tend to be much like flatbread. These include the dosa, idli, and upattham, among others. Post to follow.

*I’m just a novice at sweets, but tend to err on the side of caution. Even the dairy based rasgulla cheese sweet may contain minute amounts of flour, alas.. And gulab jamun, India’s milky answer to the donut, contains unadulterated gluten. Right now I’m more inclined to make them at home than to trust sweet shops… but I’d love to try them if I could find some safe varieties.

Whew. Figuring all this out has made me realize how much I DON’T know about the diverse food cultures in India… But at least now I can handle our hotel room service menu like a pro- as long as I’m ordering veg! Just don’t ask me about non-veg dishes… ;)

This information was the result of extensive internet research, but there may be mistakes. Please ask your server extensive questions and explain your dietary needs, with the help of travel cards if necessary. You may find that North Indian restaurants in the US are more likely to add wheat flour as a thickener than they are in India- or even that some chefs here add wheat where you wouldn’t expect it. Be careful and if in doubt- just don’t eat it! If you have additions, corrections, or compliments (tee hee) please post in the comments!

In the gluten free world, two authors have emerged as the undisputed masters of gluten free baking- Carol Fenster and Bette Hagman. I love Bette Hagman’s breads based on her four flour blend, which incorporates bean flour and sorghum for amazingly light and elastic gluten free breads. But I’ve also owned Carol Fenster’s cookbooks for years- and while many of her books have been quite successful, her recent book “Cooking Free” has caused a great deal of buzz on gluten free message boards and web sites. Part of the appeal is that she has developed a very flexible flour blend which you can adapt to your personal taste (and allergies). After first ordering this book, I tried a bread with her blend using sorghum, potato starch, tapioca and corn flour, which she said she used most often at home. I felt that the bread was heavier than Bette Hagman’s recipes using bean flour, so decided that the next time I made a recipe I would definitely use bean flour.

Last night I started some Vindaloo Vegetable Stew from my “Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” cookbook, and had some for breakfast and lunch with basmati rice. Noticing that we didn’t have much rice left for dinner, I decided to spice up the meal by following the Northern Indian tradition of serving flatbread with meals- so I dipped into Carol Fenster’s “Cooking Free” and decided to try the recipe for Herbed Flatbread on page 26. I’ve been a longtime fan of her pizza crust, which is earthy and nutty and uses italian seasonings to flavor the dough. I was attracted to her flatbread recipe because instead of Italian spices it used an intriguing blend of caraway seeds, fennel seeds, dill weed, ground cumin, dry mustard and minced dehydrated onion. The recipe sounded both savory and like it would complement my tomato based spicy vindaloo nicely.

It found it quite easy to make. I spun the ingredients in the mixer and then patted it out in a jelly pan, flouring the dough and then patting it down with a freezer type ziploc bag that had been sprayed with cooking spray. This method ensured my hands didn’t get all gummy and also that I didn’t have to drown the poor defenseless dough in flour. Then I brushed some locally produced olive oil (bought at the wonderful European dairy and produce shop The Milk Pail in Mountain View) onto the dough, and sprinkled some course kosher salt on top, baking the bread for 15 minutes.

The smell of delightful seasoned bread filled the house and I couldn’t wait to take it out of the oven. It was beautifully browned and was flaky when I tore off a piece to enjoy. The recipe said it served 12, but in my opinion only if those 12 were the “nibble on a raw spinach leaf and call themselves full” type. For my, um, healthy appetite, it could serve three. This time when I made her flour blend, I used Sorghum, potato starch, tapioca starch, and garfave bean flour- and it was just perfect, adding elasticity and lightness to the finished product. I think I’ve found MY favorite blend- and this recipes is a real keeper- I’d give it 9/10, but you should try it yourself and see what you think!