Comments on: Dining as a Gluten-Free Veg in India: Decoding a North Indian Menu for Allergies http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html Yummy Adventures in Gluten Free Cuisine Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:21:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Sharanya Metro http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-88123 Sharanya Metro Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:26:07 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-88123 Thank you so much for posting this. We are heading to India on Tuesday. I am a new to be Gluten Free and have a slight intolerance to it as well as dairy. I am mostly vegan. I found www.indianvegan.com When we are in the north maybe we will find some Jain restaurants??? We will be doing video blogs of our travels while we are there. We are flying into Delhi and traveling north and than heading north to Rishikesh and other points north. This was so very help and noted all that you had mentioned. Thank you. ~S Thank you so much for posting this. We are heading to India on Tuesday. I am a new to be Gluten Free and have a slight intolerance to it as well as dairy. I am mostly vegan. I found http://www.indianvegan.com
When we are in the north maybe we will find some Jain restaurants???
We will be doing video blogs of our travels while we are there. We are flying into Delhi and traveling north and than heading north to Rishikesh and other points north.
This was so very help and noted all that you had mentioned.
Thank you.
~S

]]> By: Mel http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-78958 Mel Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:56:41 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-78958 Have just read with interest your blogs in preparation for a trip to Chandigarh In the North for a friends wedding. Thanks for all the info I am quite concerned myself as I am very sensitive to a trace of wheat being a coeliac. A mistake will end up in 24 hrs of hell and another 24hrs recovery I love eating and cooking Indian food at home where a certain level of control can be enjoyed but eating out in Great Britian is hard enough so am hoping that all will be Ok. Have just read with interest your blogs in preparation for a trip to Chandigarh In the North for a friends wedding. Thanks for all the info

I am quite concerned myself as I am very sensitive to a trace of wheat being a coeliac. A mistake will end up in 24 hrs of hell and another 24hrs recovery
I love eating and cooking Indian food at home where a certain level of control can be enjoyed but eating out in Great Britian is hard enough so am hoping that all will be Ok.

]]> By: yum http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-76040 yum Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:23:40 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-76040 Shabnam, I am aware of the small quantity of hing used in dishes as I often prepare Indian dishes. I have Celiac Sprue, a medical condition which necessitates complete avoidance of gluten in the diet. Basically my body responds to gluten by having an autoimmune response where the body attacks itself. Consuming gluten results in the disease being "activated" and antibody levels rise which can, in the long term, lead to serious complications like stomach cancer. Even small amounts of gluten should be avoided by someone with Celiac- even parts per MILLION. This blog is a gluten-free blog, not a "little bit of gluten is ok" blog, so I include the information for my readers. The pure resin is not available in the US, as far as I know, and even home cooks in India seem to use the powdered stuff- one should not count on it being the form used in restaurants or homes. I'm not sure what a "mild" form of gluten sensitivity is, but for those with Celiac, no amount of gluten is a good idea. Shabnam, I am aware of the small quantity of hing used in dishes as I often prepare Indian dishes. I have Celiac Sprue, a medical condition which necessitates complete avoidance of gluten in the diet. Basically my body responds to gluten by having an autoimmune response where the body attacks itself. Consuming gluten results in the disease being “activated” and antibody levels rise which can, in the long term, lead to serious complications like stomach cancer. Even small amounts of gluten should be avoided by someone with Celiac- even parts per MILLION. This blog is a gluten-free blog, not a “little bit of gluten is ok” blog, so I include the information for my readers. The pure resin is not available in the US, as far as I know, and even home cooks in India seem to use the powdered stuff- one should not count on it being the form used in restaurants or homes. I’m not sure what a “mild” form of gluten sensitivity is, but for those with Celiac, no amount of gluten is a good idea.

]]> By: shabnam http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-76025 shabnam Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:31:38 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-76025 ummm... I see that the asafoetida thing has gone out of hand. Typically, one would use about 40-50 mg of Hing(asafoetida) in about a kilo of veggies. So if its a ground version, one could expect it to have about half of that as flour. The pure resin, if you can find it, has no flour at all. So, basically, if you have a mild form of gluten sensitivity, you dont have to be hypersensitive abut Hing. Sout Indian food is generally gluten free, but stay away from parottas which are the same as punjabi paranthas in content. Avoid all flatbreads, to stay safe. ummm… I see that the asafoetida thing has gone out of hand. Typically, one would use about 40-50 mg of Hing(asafoetida) in about a kilo of veggies. So if its a ground version, one could expect it to have about half of that as flour. The pure resin, if you can find it, has no flour at all.
So, basically, if you have a mild form of gluten sensitivity, you dont have to be hypersensitive abut Hing.
Sout Indian food is generally gluten free, but stay away from parottas which are the same as punjabi paranthas in content. Avoid all flatbreads, to stay safe.

]]> By: Gluten-Free Vegetarian Indian Recipe: Aloo Jeera Potato with Cumin Recipe | Book of Yum http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-20065 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Indian Recipe: Aloo Jeera Potato with Cumin Recipe | Book of Yum Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:01:28 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-20065 [...] they are usually served with gluten wheat flatbread, you can always order them with rice. Of all the dishes I enjoyed, Aloo Jeera, or potatoes with Cumin, was one of my absolute favorites. I never thought I liked [...] [...] they are usually served with gluten wheat flatbread, you can always order them with rice. Of all the dishes I enjoyed, Aloo Jeera, or potatoes with Cumin, was one of my absolute favorites. I never thought I liked [...]

]]> By: Daagh http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-13282 Daagh Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:52:57 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-13282 wonderful article and thanks for linking my recipes to your entry :-) wonderful article and thanks for linking my recipes to your entry :-)

]]> By: Book of Yum - Blog http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/dining-as-a-gluten-free-veg-in-india-decoding-a-north-indian-menu-for-allergies-1280.html/comment-page-1#comment-6149 Book of Yum - Blog Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:57:32 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-6149 [...] When we arrived at the restaurant, it seemed nice, with cute fish in a stone water garden in the entrance. (See if you can find fish #3…) We sat down at a long wooden table covered in magenta brocade strips, and had some bottled water while we waited for all twenty-something guests to arrive. The table filled with people, and count was taken of the “veg” and “non-veg” guests. I love how easy the veg-distinction is here! Slowly the food began arriving- starting with a nice, fragrant tomato shorba (soup). See my previous post for some tomato shorba recipes. It seemed like a nice, safe thin broth, and when we asked, they said they didn’t use flour for thickening it, so I had some and enjoyed the light, delicately spiced broth. This was no thick, gloppy American Campbell soup- it was a million times more subtle and delicious, with a hint of cumin and other spices I could only guess at. Next they brought snacks, which is when I became nervous- a variety of things, many appearing lightly breaded or floured- baby corn in a light batter with red chilis, flat fried disks topped with fresh vegetables and cheeses, potato cubes covered in masala (?) but also perhaps flour and fried- a host of bites that looked like they might contain wheat. I decided not to risk them, and hoped that the future would bring me something I could eat. One thing that surprised me was that they used one plate for this process- the servers would come by and pile servings of each dish on your plate. You could refuse by waving your hand, but several dishes were served to me before I could see them properly, so I ended up with several potentially wheaty things on my plate. I gave a little white moat of plate space around each slightly risky food until it became obvious that everyone cleared the remnants that they didn’t want onto a small plate to the left and then got new food piled on the same plate. After having some of a simple Indian style salad (no lettuce, just fresh veggies sprinkled in salt and chili pepper), I asked for a new plate and got one, which I guarded with my life, or at least, a flutter of hands, until more friendly food came along. One thing to keep in mind about salads is that tap water in India is quite likely to contain bacteria that international visitor’s bodies may not be used to, so raw veggies may pose a risk (of some intestinal distress) if they have been rinsed in said water. I’ve been risking the veggie salads, but not lettuce- the Lonely Planet recommends soaking lettuce and possibly raw veggies in iodized water for 20 minutes before consumption. I’d rather skip the lettuce, and cross my fingers about the (preferably peeled) raw veggies, myself. You may wish to be more cautious. I’ve also been dining exclusively in hotels and mid-to high-range restaurants, so a village experience may be different. The condiments shown as the main photo here include a green sauce (mint or cilantro, I would guess), a numbingly spicy red chutney and some lovely pearl onions- I coveted them but was concerned about the water issue. I should also mention the lovely papadum that was served with the condiments at the beginning of the meal- I avoided it out of a concern for the asafoetida/hing seasoning often used with papad (see comments and previous post), but it looked very crisp and appetizing. If you would like to try papad at home, I found at least one British brand of papad that is labeled Gluten-Free in my local Whole Foods. (If you know the brand, please share in comments and I will edit this post.) [...] [...] When we arrived at the restaurant, it seemed nice, with cute fish in a stone water garden in the entrance. (See if you can find fish #3…) We sat down at a long wooden table covered in magenta brocade strips, and had some bottled water while we waited for all twenty-something guests to arrive. The table filled with people, and count was taken of the “veg” and “non-veg” guests. I love how easy the veg-distinction is here! Slowly the food began arriving- starting with a nice, fragrant tomato shorba (soup). See my previous post for some tomato shorba recipes. It seemed like a nice, safe thin broth, and when we asked, they said they didn’t use flour for thickening it, so I had some and enjoyed the light, delicately spiced broth. This was no thick, gloppy American Campbell soup- it was a million times more subtle and delicious, with a hint of cumin and other spices I could only guess at. Next they brought snacks, which is when I became nervous- a variety of things, many appearing lightly breaded or floured- baby corn in a light batter with red chilis, flat fried disks topped with fresh vegetables and cheeses, potato cubes covered in masala (?) but also perhaps flour and fried- a host of bites that looked like they might contain wheat. I decided not to risk them, and hoped that the future would bring me something I could eat. One thing that surprised me was that they used one plate for this process- the servers would come by and pile servings of each dish on your plate. You could refuse by waving your hand, but several dishes were served to me before I could see them properly, so I ended up with several potentially wheaty things on my plate. I gave a little white moat of plate space around each slightly risky food until it became obvious that everyone cleared the remnants that they didn’t want onto a small plate to the left and then got new food piled on the same plate. After having some of a simple Indian style salad (no lettuce, just fresh veggies sprinkled in salt and chili pepper), I asked for a new plate and got one, which I guarded with my life, or at least, a flutter of hands, until more friendly food came along. One thing to keep in mind about salads is that tap water in India is quite likely to contain bacteria that international visitor’s bodies may not be used to, so raw veggies may pose a risk (of some intestinal distress) if they have been rinsed in said water. I’ve been risking the veggie salads, but not lettuce- the Lonely Planet recommends soaking lettuce and possibly raw veggies in iodized water for 20 minutes before consumption. I’d rather skip the lettuce, and cross my fingers about the (preferably peeled) raw veggies, myself. You may wish to be more cautious. I’ve also been dining exclusively in hotels and mid-to high-range restaurants, so a village experience may be different. The condiments shown as the main photo here include a green sauce (mint or cilantro, I would guess), a numbingly spicy red chutney and some lovely pearl onions- I coveted them but was concerned about the water issue. I should also mention the lovely papadum that was served with the condiments at the beginning of the meal- I avoided it out of a concern for the asafoetida/hing seasoning often used with papad (see comments and previous post), but it looked very crisp and appetizing. If you would like to try papad at home, I found at least one British brand of papad that is labeled Gluten-Free in my local Whole Foods. (If you know the brand, please share in comments and I will edit this post.) [...]

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