Hello Folks!
For the past month, I have been based out of Hyderabad, in the south of India. On the whole, India is a GREAT place for gluten-free food! Celiacs disease is actually fairly common in India – especially in the North – and people are quite aware of wheat allergies.
And the best part: they just generally don’t cook with wheat! The only big caveat I will add is that the world-famous Hyderabadi biryani may be cross-contaminated. The method of cooking can involved the use of dough (made of wheat) to seal the pot during the steaming process. Not everyone abides – only the most traditional preparations still use it. But it’s important to check!
However, many other food is almost completely safe. The thing to check for with the ubiquitous dosa or uttapam (see below) is that it is not made on the same stove top as the chapatti or other wheat-based breads.
Otherwise, most of the curries, dhals, paneer (cheese) dishes, and meats are generally cooked in gluten-free ways. And they are incredibly spicy and yummy!
The Park Hyatt Hyderabad, where I stay, actually has gluten-free notation on the menu. All staff are quite aware of gluten allergies. They’ll even bust out the GF goodies for breakfast if you ask – gluten-free bread, gluten-free pancakes, etc! So it’s a great choice for where to stay!
Another love: masala chai. So good. Not sweet. Delicious. Almost always safe.
Peace,
Daisy
