Are you wondering whether Indian food is suitable for someone who maintains a gluten free diet? Or maybe you want to know which popular Indian dishes are gluten free? Well either way, you are in the right place! In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about gluten in Indian food.
We start out by talking about what common Indian dishes and ingredients are gluten free. After that, we discuss common Indian dishes and ingredients that are not gluten free. Next, we cover Indian dishes that may or may not be gluten free. Finally, we discuss whether Indian food is suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet.
What Indian food is gluten free?
What Indian food is gluten free? In this section, we will talk about common examples of Indian food that is gluten free. We will start out by talking about ingredients that are commonly used in Indian cooking that are gluten free. After that, we will talk about popular Indian dishes that are gluten free.
Note that while the dishes and ingredients we discuss in this article are commonly gluten free, that does not mean that they will alway be gluten free. Make sure to read the allergen label or consult with the chef before eating an item to ensure that it is gluten free.
Gluten free Indian ingredients
What are some ingredients that are commonly used in Indian cooking that are gluten free? In this section, we will discuss some of the most commonly used ingredients that are used in Indian cooking that are gluten free.
- Vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes, spinach, carrots)
- Aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger, shallots)
- Chiles
- Meats (chicken, lamb)
- Lentils, chickpeas, and split peas
- Rice
- Paneer
- Ghee
- Yogurt
- Spices (cloves, fenugreek, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, curry leaves)
- Tamarind
- Rice flour, chickpea flour, cornstarch, and potato starch
- Coconut milk and coconut oil
- Nuts, raisins, and dried fruits
Gluten free Indian dishes
What are some common examples of Indian dishes that are gluten free? In this section, we will discuss some of the most common examples of gluten free Indian dishes.
- Butter chicken (and similar dishes made with other proteins)
- Chicken korma (and similar dishes made with other proteins)
- Chicken tikka masala (and similar dishes made with other proteins)
- Tandoori chicken (and similar dishes made with other proteins)
- Chicken vindaloo (and similar dishes made with other proteins)
- Madras curry
- Biryani
- Rogan josh
- Saag paneer
- Aloo gobi
- Lassi
What Indian food is not gluten free?
What Indian food is not gluten free? In this section, we will discuss some examples of Indian food that is not gluten free. We will start out by discussing ingredients that are commonly used in Indian cooking that are not gluten free. After that, we will discuss some common Indian dishes that are not gluten free.
Note that while the ingredients and dishes that we discuss in this article are generally not gluten free, that does not mean that gluten free versions of them do not exist. There may be some restaurants or stores that carry gluten free versions of these dishes.
Indian ingredients that contain gluten
What are some examples of ingredients that are commonly used in Indian cooking that contain gluten? In this article, we will discuss some of the most common examples of Indian ingredients that do contain gluten.
- All purpose flour and wheat flour
Indian dishes that contain gluten
What are some common examples of Indian dishes that contain gluten? In this article, we describe some of the most common examples of Indian dishes that contain gluten.
- Naan
- Roti
- Paratha
- Chapati
- Samosas
- Papdi chaat
Indian dishes that may or may not contain gluten
What are some examples of Indian dishes that may or may not contain gluten depending on where you order them? In this section, we will discuss examples of Indian dishes that may or may not contain gluten depending on where they are ordered. For each dish, we will describe the ways that gluten may be introduced into the dish.
- Dosas. Dosas are one example of an Indian dish that is usually gluten free, but may contain gluten in some cases. Most dosas are made with a mixture of lentil and rice flour. However, there are some dosas that are made with gluten containing grains. In particular, rava dosas are often made with semolina flour.
- Pakora. Pakora is another example of a dish that is usually gluten free, but may contain gluten in some cases. Pakora is made with vegetables that are battered and fried. In most cases, pakora is made with chickpea flour that is indeed gluten free. That being said, there are some cases where pakora might be made with a wheat based flour.
- Chutney. An Indian chutney is another example of an item that may or may not be gluten free. While most Indian chutneys are in fact gluten free, there are some types of chutney that may contain gluten. Specifically chutneys that are made with malt vinegar may contain gluten.
- Fried foods (cross contamination). As with most cuisines, you should be careful whenever eating a dish with components that are cooked in the fryer if you are sensitive to cross contamination. If you are going to eat a dish with ingredients that are cooked in the fryer, you should understand whether there is a fryer that is dedicated to gluten free food or whether the fryer is shared with items that contain gluten.
Is Indian food suitable for gluten free diets?
Is Indian food suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet? Yes, Indian food is generally a good option for someone who is on a gluten free diet. There are many common Indian dishes that are made without gluten. In fact, there are many Indian restaurants where all of the food other than the breads that are served on the side are gluten free.
One of the reasons that Indian food is particularly suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet is that Indian cuisine tends to use thickeners that do not contain gluten. While many types of cuisine use wheat flour as a thickener, it is more common for alternative options like rice flour and potato starch to be used in Indian cooking.
Gluten free Indian restaurants
Are you looking for an Indian restaurant with lots of gluten free options? Here are some of our favorite Indian restaurants with gluten free options. For each restaurant we list in this section, we also provide details on where the restaurant is located.
- Sanaa in Orlando, Florida
- India House in Northampton, Massachusetts
- Dosa Kitchen Factory and Food Truck in Brattleboro, Vermont
- Shere-e-Punjab in Media, Pennsylvania
- Shanti in Boston, Massachusetts
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