Once Ali threw down the challenge, I started thinking about what dishes would be good in a tiffin. Lately I’ve been eating more quinoa than rice, and so a quinoa dish was a given. I could have packed my favorite quinoa masala recipe, but this time I thought I’d make a more basic recipe that would be the base note for the meal, rather than the star component. I riffed on a favorite rice cooker recipe, adding more spices and peas for fun. Lately I’ve been reveling in the fresh offerings at the Farmer’s Market, and I’ve got a serious crush on baby zucchini and zucchini blossoms. I decided to make a highly seasoned and decadent (but still healthy!) baby zucchini and baby pattypan dry curry that would travel well and complement the quinoa pilaf. And then, influenced by Japanese bento where a high-protein fried treat accompanies rice and vegetables, I decided to end on a slightly decadent note with a pakora (chickpea flour fritter) zucchini blossom. It tastes lovely hot, cold, with ketchup or simply kissed with salt, and marvelously blends the fresh flavor of the blossom with hearty, savory chickpea batter.

And so, a healthy Indian vegetarian (and vegan) lunch menu was born. Baby Yum is too little for such lunchbox menus as yet, but I think you’re never too old to treat your adult self with a healthy and delicious lunch, whether it be in a paper (or eco-reusable) bag, tiffin, or bento box. And when Baby Yum is old enough for school, I hope she’ll enjoy eating this type of International, vegetarian feasts as much as I will enjoy making them for her.

Here is Ali’s roundup of gluten-free lunch ideas

I also entered this post in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

More International Lunches from the Book of Yum:
Vegetarian Bento with Burdock and Lotus Root and Inari Zushi
Fusion Tiffin with Thai Lemongrass Corn and Quesadillas
Spinach Sesame Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball) for Bento
Assorted Avocado Fusion Onigiri recipes for Bento

Looking for more inspiration for your Bento or Tiffin Box? Here are some of my favorite sites which have recipes that can be adapted to be gluten-free:
Just Bento (Japanese recipes)
Just Hungry (Japanese recipes)
Maki of Just Bento and Just Hungry’s Cookbook:
The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Go
Cooking Cute (Japanese recipes)
The Cooking Cute cookbook:
Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches
Lunch in a Box (no longer being updated)
Week of Menus (How about a Korean recipe bento?)
Hapa Bento (Japanese cuisine)

Indian Baby Zucchini, pattypan squash, and tomato dry curry recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 1/2 lb baby zucchini 1/2 lb baby pattypan squash 2 small tomatoes or one medium tomato, cubed and dusted with salt 2 tbsp. of olive or canola oil, divided 1 1/2 tbsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ancho or cayenne chili pepper (or paprika for kids) 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp salt Directions Clean zucchini and pattypan squash and towel dry. Cut Baby zucchini in half lengthwise, and cut pattypan squash in half horizontally so that you have two circlets, one having a pumpkin-like stem and os one not. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high and then add your baby zucchini so that you have one layer in the pan. You may have to do this in batches. Let it brown for a minute or so and then lower the heat. Let brown for 8 minutes, turning halfway through to get even browning. Remove zucchini from pan and reserve. Heat the remaining oil on medium high again and put a single layer of your pattypan squash in the pan. After a minute or so, lower heat and brown for 5-6 minutes. Turn halfway through or as soon as the bottom layer is brown and brown the other side. Add the zucchini back into the pan and add your spices, mixing thoroughly. Let the spices heat up and brown slightly. Add the cubed tomatoes and mix again. Let the tomatoes cook down slightly and then take off burner. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Serve! Notes *vegetables can be replaced with Okra if desired.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from a recipe for Okra Supreme from The Best of Lord Krishna’s cuisine cookbook, but changed to be a new recipe. Please do not replicate. Recipe ID:  1521 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

zucchini blossom pakora fritter recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients Batter: 1 cup chickpea flour pinch baking soda 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper) 1 tsp roasted ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup water canola oil for deep frying 1 farmer’s market package of zucchini squash blossoms salt for taste Directions Combine pakora batter ingredients in a small bowl. Pour enough canola oil in a small, deep pan for deep frying. Heat on high until hot but before reaching smoking point. If oil is too hot, fritters will burn. If not hot enough, the fritters will absorb too much oil. Oil is ready when a drop of batter rises to the surface immediately and sizzles. Lower heat to medium high to keep at correct temperature. Dip your squash blossoms into the batter, coating all sides evenly. Drop them into hot oil, turning frequently so that the blossom browns evenly. Remove fritters from oil with tongs or metal strainer and set on rack to drain. You can reheat them later in the oven on 375 and they will taste hot and fresh! Sprinkle lightly with salt if desired. Notes Good with ketchup, chutney, or even plain! *this photo is of whole baby zucchini and blossom from my first experiment with this recipe. However, I found it better to just batter and fry the blossom separately, and those are the versions pictured in the tiffin photos!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Pakora batter based on the Bombay Cafe, variation my own. Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1522 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

Special Indian Quinoa Recipe Side Dish  Alternative Grains  Indian

Ingredients 5 tsp sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained 1/2 – 1 cup green peas 3 1/2 cups water 3 tsp fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/2-1 tsp sea salt Directions Heat sesame oil in your rice cooker and then add your black mustard seeds and cumin. Heat until seeds pop and then add your quinoa. Heat the rice cooker again (by pressing cook), stir the quinoa, and let it cook a few minutes. Open rice cooker and add your peas, water, lime juice, turmeric, and salt. Stir. Start your rice cooker cycle again and let cook. Can keep warm in the rice cooker for a bit or serve immediately. Enjoy!

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Inspired by an old recipe for rice but radically altered to be my own. Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1523 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

Oh- the spinach dip was supposed to be made with yogurt, but it turned out our yogurt had a little more “life” than I was hoping for. Instead I tried making it with sour cream and loved it so much I can’t imagine it any other way. It tastes great with the potatoes and rice and even the spinach-hating DH ate it without complaint. I added some fresh, salted, sliced tomatoes- this meal made me so very happy.

Dal Pakora and Cilantro Chutney
Madras Style Green Beans
Wholegrain Gluten-Free Indian Flatbread Recipe
Baked Gluten-Free Samosa Recipe- vegan and Chebe versions

Archana’s Mom’s Jeera Aloo Cumin Potato Recipe Main Course  Potatoes  Indian

Ingredients 5 or 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes 3 tbsp. peanut oil or favorite oil 1 whole minced onion 1 tbsp peeled and microplane grated fresh ginger 1 tsp black mustard 2 tbsp. jeera (whole cumin seeds), separated into 1 1/3 tbsp. and 2 tsp. 3 fresh kari/curry leaves 1 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp. turmeric generous sprinkling of salt Directions Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan on medium heat. Add your minced onion and grated ginger and let begin to cook and turn translucent. Then move onion and ginger away from the center of the pan and add one more tablespoon to the center of the pan. When the oil is hot, add your mustard and 1 1/3 tbsp. jeera, letting it begin to pop. (Reserve the additional 2 tsp. of cumin seeds). Add the kari leaves, coriander and turmeric and mix into the mustard and jeera. As it heats, combine with the onion and ginger. Toss in the cubed potatoes and fold in the spices. Let brown for a few minutes. Then add a small amount of water to the pan and cover. Let cook for ten minutes or so and then take off lid, turning over potatoes to brown other side. Add a little more water. Cook for 10 more minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Then take off lid and make another small space in the center of the pan. Add another tbsp of oil to the center and add your extra 2 tsp. cumin seeds. Let them brown and start to pop and then spread them out on the bottom of the pan beneath the potato mixture. Let potatoes get brown and crispier for another two minutes, and then turn them one more time and let them get crispy on the other side. Serve with your favorite rice, an Indian style salad (salted fresh veggies with fresh lime wedges), and a refreshing raita.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Ingredients from Archana’s Mom. Proportions from me. Please do not replicate anywhere without my persmission! Thanks! Recipe ID:  1331 Added:  December 8, 2008 Last Modified:  December 8, 2008

Tia’s Indian Spinach Sour Cream Raita Recipe Sauces & Condiments  Dairy  Indian

Ingredients Huge handful or two of fresh spinach 1/2 cup lowfat or nonfat sour cream (I like Daisy’s) 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds sprinkle of paprika or chili powder sprinkling of salt (optional) Directions Cook fresh spinach in microwave with a splash of water until cooked. Remove, drain and chop. Combine in a small bowl with the sour cream and freshly toasted cumin seeds, along with a sprinkle of paprika. Fold together and serve immediately.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Inspired by various recipes online, but my creation. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1332 Added:  December 8, 2008 Last Modified:  December 8, 2008

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

We thought about eating out, but Agra is overwhelming and tiring to the uninitiated, and after seeing the Taj Mahal we didn’t crave any more adventures, having satisfied our main goal for the trip. So, somewhat shame-facedly we made our way down to the brightly lit, modern, and cheerful Hilton bar for drinks. We had one of our favorite (non-alcoholic) drinks- a lime soda, sweet, not sour. It’s a simple recipe, and one all too easy to create at home. (See recipe below.) It’s funny, I’ve always enjoyed fresh lime juice, but it was in India, garnishing salads or as the base of a fizzy beverage, that I truly began to love the tang of lime over all other citrus. We drank our beverage in the modern lounge, looking around at other travelers- this early in the evening mostly American college students. Then, as we grew hungry, we moved to the dining room for a delicious surprise. It turned out that the Hilton largely prides itself on its extensive buffet dinner. I hear you groaning now, ugh, buffet… but this was a buffet like none I’d ever seen before. One of a pair of ultra-chic modern tables was covered in the best collection of crisp salads, most of which would be perfect as a dish of their own, not just as one ingredient. Its twin was covered with lovely European desserts- inaccessible to me but with a few promising fruit plates. The far wall of the restaurant had a sleek, modern bar with a special wood stove and bar surface stretching out with individual tureens of yummy looking food… There was either European or Indian fare, if you were so inclined, with extensive vegetarian offerings. I was a bit intimidated by the buffet- although the salad bar looked fairly safe, I wasn’t sure about the hot food. So, I approached the chef, not to be confused with waitors, who stood in his tall chef’s hat near the food, clearly in charge and clearly ready to answer any guest’s questions. When I told him I couldn’t eat gluten, he immediately started talking about CC and offered to make my own dish- it impressed me, but I had been braving the dangers of CC for weeks and I could see visions of law suits and anaphylactic shock dancing in his head. I explained that it wasn’t an anaphylactic reaction and asked what dishes were free of gluten, and we went down the buffet line together. I put together a plate, first of the cold salad items, and then later of the hot items. Meanwhile DH was in seventh heaven, enjoying a break from strictly Indian food with the joys of this more international cuisine. I was pretty happy myself. While I love Indian cuisine, after a week or so of long simmered curries I was ready for crisp, delicately seasoned green beans with creamy buffalo mozzarella and the crunch of thickly cut golden orange carrots. Of the hotel’s hot dishes, my favorite was the hot, plainly spiced potatoes, not their Indian cuisine, although their paneer dish was excellent with silky smooth, flavorful cheese almost as good as the Oberoi. While the Hilton didn’t seem to have anything amazing for a gluten-free dessert at first glance, when I got a plate of fresh and candied fruits from the dessert table, I was in for a lovely surprise.

We had been enjoying the fresh fruit throughout our stay in India. The sweet and firm pineapple and half-sized bananas were favorites for breakfasts. The fresh fruit of the Hilton was good, but it was the candied fruit that amazed me. I don’t know how they did it, but the candied fruit had the sweetness of perfectly dried fruit but yet were still moist and sweet like honey, but even better. The entertainment for the evening was the robust Russian Rodney Dangerfield look-alike who made himself and his friends a huge Caesar Salad at their table- with lots of gesturing and chopping. Ah, good times. Despite that entertainment, our dinner experience was very satisfying and we left the restaurant feeling perfectly content, and ready for a good night’s rest in our bright and cheerful hotel room. (The huge bathroom with bathtub and fancy bath products was particularly nice after our standing floor shower in Bangalore.) The next morning we toddled into the restaurant, excited and happy to have another great meal. We didn’t want another huge buffet meal, though- even one as nice as theirs. It was too much, when all we wanted was an omelet and maybe potatoes on the side. (DH coveted some toast, rather than the potatoes.) Unfortunately service was slow and everyone clearly wanted us to just order the darned buffet and leave them in peace. Whoops! We finally got our profoundly mediocre eggs/omelet, with a small serving of potatoes (DH lovingly gave me his) and a miserable tomato that should have been put out of its misery years ago. Oh, and that toast never did make it to the table, even though bread and a toaster were stacked and ready in the buffet line. Oops. Well, no place is perfect. I’m not sure what a better breakfast option would be, but that meal was a big disappointment after the yumminess the night before. It was gluten-free though, so all’s well that end’s well… even mediocre hotel meals!

If you find yourself making your way to Agra sometime in the future, needing both a gluten-free and possibly vegetarian diet, never fear. Indian food AND international hotels should have things to offer you, and with the latter, if you talk to the chef personally they very well may make you something special, so it’s worth the extra effort. Even a vegan diet shouldn’t be too hard in a large, international hotel- but large chain hotels do have their drawbacks. If you won’t be in India for long, and want to feel like you’re IN INDIA, not at a tourist resort that hides beyond tall gates flanked by security guards and is populated mostly by lucky tourists from afar- these big hotels may not be for you. We were exhausted from our travels and ready for a little surreal luxury away from the never-ending noise, so the Hilton was a welcome break. However, another way to do it might be to take a rapid train straight from Delhi to Agra (faster than driving, with less noise and wear and tear), and stay somewhere situated more defiantly IN the city and not behind walls. The Taj Mahal was unforgettably beautiful and magnificent- and I’m glad we went, and I’m glad we planned the things we did- but when I went back to Bangalore I felt a little like Dorothy clicking my heels together, saying “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” Maybe it was the time of day, but the pollution seemed lighter (not a huge gray haze like there was in Agra), the honking of auto rickshaws sounded sweeter, and I got a whole lot less offers for a “chess set, extra cheap, just for you” back in Bangalore. And, in a first- our auto rickshaw back to our Bangalore hotel from the airport actually agreed to let us pay JUST the meter price- a first, that oddly enough made me feel all warm and fuzzy and doubly like I’d come home. Then I went and ordered some Aloo jeera and Paneer Pulao and Steamed rice and chomped it happily in our hotel room, and it didn’t even matter that the paneer probably came out of plastic wrap and the potatoes were a bit too oily- because I was home, even if it would just be for another week or so.

Sweet Lime Soda Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 1 1⁄2 tbsp. or more freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tbsp. or more simple syrup (equal amounts of sugar and water, boiled together and let cool) 3⁄4 cup soda water Lime slice Directions Put your lime juice and soda water in a tall, clear glass. Add simple syrup, mix, and taste. Add more simple syrup to taste. Garnish with a lime. Enjoy! If you like you can add ice, but we were generally skeptical of the water used for ice in India so enjoyed ours at room temperature or cooled, if the soda water had been refrigerated.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from Saveur magazine but modified by our observation in India. Recipe ID:  1169 Added:  January 4, 2008 Last Modified:  January 4, 2008

Yours,
Sea

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!