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 Thu, 02 May 2013 19:09:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Unnati 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-721464 Unnati Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:35:39 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-721464 I loved reading your blog. I recently found thati am a Celiac.Being Indian I find that I can cook a variety of foods that do not contain gluten.I live in the US and don't have access to good sorghum or bajra so I have taken to eating corn tortillas. They pair well with Indian foods. Most of the fritters that you are served in restaurants and in homes are made with besan, essentially a chickpea flour which is glutenfree. A word of caution- the tempering in most south indianfoods have hing which is not gluten free as it contains smallamounts of wheat starch. I loved reading your blog. I recently found thati am a Celiac.Being Indian I find that I can cook a variety of foods that do not contain gluten.I live in the US and don’t have access to good sorghum or bajra so I have taken to eating corn tortillas. They pair well with Indian foods.

Most of the fritters that you are served in restaurants and in homes are made with besan, essentially a chickpea flour which is glutenfree. A word of caution- the tempering in most south indianfoods have hing which is not gluten free as it contains smallamounts of wheat starch.

]]> By: PS 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-681794 PS Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:23:40 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-681794 Wow! I am an Indian myself, and I have never read anything so beautifully categorizing and calling out the various food based buckets!! Not only is it highly interesting but also very useful, considering, most health based articles, tips, guides online or magazines are in line with international specifications, tying them back to Indian diet plan was nearly impossible - (like the idea of what indian food has gluten, or the vegan diet plans) ... here is a huge first step for people like me to understand what best we can eat when trying to match a good diet plan suggested by a nutritionalist from another country!! Kudos! Wow! I am an Indian myself, and I have never read anything so beautifully categorizing and calling out the various food based buckets!!

Not only is it highly interesting but also very useful, considering, most health based articles, tips, guides online or magazines are in line with international specifications, tying them back to Indian diet plan was nearly impossible – (like the idea of what indian food has gluten, or the vegan diet plans) … here is a huge first step for people like me to understand what best we can eat when trying to match a good diet plan suggested by a nutritionalist from another country!!

Kudos!

]]> By: Divya 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-350922 Divya Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:50:47 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-350922 A slight correction there.. where you have mentioned a dish called upattham... It is actually pronounced and spelt as uthappam... I am an Indian from the Southern Region and thanks for visiting our country and elucidating on its various cuisine treasures. A slight correction there.. where you have mentioned a dish called upattham… It is actually pronounced and spelt as uthappam… I am an Indian from the Southern Region and thanks for visiting our country and elucidating on its various cuisine treasures.

]]> By: vanita 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-256011 vanita Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:14:20 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-256011 This was a very informative article. Thanks so much for it. Nowhere has anyone talked so well about a gluten-free diet in the indian context. Thanks. This was a very informative article. Thanks so much for it. Nowhere has anyone talked so well about a gluten-free diet in the indian context.
Thanks.

]]> 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-121549 yum Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:44:27 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-121549 Hi Shaz, I also have Celiac so I understand her concern. I don't know what her typical diet includes, so I can't advise you on what she should bring, but I imagine most healthy fresh foods that are required by diabetics are available in India from grocery stores. You might consider a situation where she can prepare her own meals. Personally I survived well on curries, dal and rice. White rice is typical, which may be too high on the glycemic index for your daughter. However, she might try a high protein diet with dals, veg and non-veg dishes (if non-veg). My friends and I had issues with food poisoning so I don't recommend seafood (Refrigeration is an issue, especially if you are not on the coast with fresh seafood), and if she eats prepared restaurant food there is likely to be small amounts of cross contamination with ground spices and ingredients like asafoetida/hing. If your daughter was not born in India she may also be wary of fresh salads washed in the water also. Some small amount of contamination is probably unavoidable while traveling (kitchens will not be gluten-free) but it should be manageable. If you are able to stay somewhere with a kitchen or hire a cook that can be made to understand the diet, she may be able to avoid higher risk situations. On the other hand, I was able to travel in India for several weeks without noticeable gluten contamination (although a few instances of food poisoning shared by my non-celiac traveling companions). Best of luck to your daughter and I hope she enjoys the trip! -Sea Hi Shaz,
I also have Celiac so I understand her concern. I don’t know what her typical diet includes, so I can’t advise you on what she should bring, but I imagine most healthy fresh foods that are required by diabetics are available in India from grocery stores. You might consider a situation where she can prepare her own meals. Personally I survived well on curries, dal and rice. White rice is typical, which may be too high on the glycemic index for your daughter. However, she might try a high protein diet with dals, veg and non-veg dishes (if non-veg). My friends and I had issues with food poisoning so I don’t recommend seafood (Refrigeration is an issue, especially if you are not on the coast with fresh seafood), and if she eats prepared restaurant food there is likely to be small amounts of cross contamination with ground spices and ingredients like asafoetida/hing. If your daughter was not born in India she may also be wary of fresh salads washed in the water also. Some small amount of contamination is probably unavoidable while traveling (kitchens will not be gluten-free) but it should be manageable. If you are able to stay somewhere with a kitchen or hire a cook that can be made to understand the diet, she may be able to avoid higher risk situations. On the other hand, I was able to travel in India for several weeks without noticeable gluten contamination (although a few instances of food poisoning shared by my non-celiac traveling companions). Best of luck to your daughter and I hope she enjoys the trip!

-Sea

]]> By: shaz 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-121265 shaz Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:19:03 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-121265 hi my daughter is celiac requiring her to have a very strict gluten free diet. we are going to india for the first time since she has been diagnosed. more so my daughter than myself is worried of whats available as main meals and how much should we take from home to cater for the the time we are there which is two weeks, also taken into account that my daughter is type 1 diabetic. hi my daughter is celiac requiring her to have a very strict gluten free diet. we are going to india for the first time since she has been diagnosed. more so my daughter than myself is worried of whats available as main meals and how much should we take from home to cater for the the time we are there which is two weeks, also taken into account that my daughter is type 1 diabetic.

]]> By: Jyothi Mcminn 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-103776 Jyothi Mcminn Mon, 17 May 2010 01:29:55 +0000 http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/?p=1280#comment-103776 These flat breads also can have grated carrots, boiled potatoes grated and cheese and spinach or peas cooks and pureed. Try adding plenty of cilantro , adding a tsp. of cumin powder.One has to experiment to like the taste to try again. These flat breads also can have grated carrots, boiled potatoes grated and cheese and spinach or peas cooks and pureed. Try adding plenty of cilantro , adding a tsp. of cumin powder.One has to experiment to like the taste to try again.

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