5 Gluten Free Desi Recipes

Living a gluten free lifestyle does not mean that you have to sacrifice all your tasty favourites.

Some recipes out there merely substitute gluten ingredients with suitable alternatives.

Many British Asians do not have any knowledge on gluten free food, therefore when they face having to cut it out from their diet; they mistakenly assume the worst has come.

There is no reason for you to have to cut out your delicious Desi must haves. All you have to do is simply reinvent the traditional recipes that you used to use.

Listed below are five popular gluten free Desi recipes.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup white rice flour
•  1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
•  3-4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, mashed (approximately 2 cups)
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon cumin seeds
•  1 serrano green chili, chopped fine
•  1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine
•  2 tablespoons coriander powder
•  1 tablespoon lemon juice
•  2 tablespoon chives
•  1 teaspoon garam masala

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead well. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 to fifteen minutes.
2. Divide the mixture into six to seven balls. Dip the balls in the rice flour container so that they are covered with flour. Dust the excess flour off. This helps the dough not to stick to each other while you are rolling each ball.
3. Roll each ball with a pin into four to five inch circles. Make sure to spread some flour on the board before rolling the ball.
4. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Place the rolled paratha on the pan and add 1/2 teaspoon of oil around the paratha and let it heat until it gets a few brown spots – approximately 1-2 minutes. Flip the paratha, add some more oil with a spoon around the paratha and let it cook on the other side until brown spots start appearing.
5. Each paratha will take about five to six minutes to cook.

Samosas

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Gluten Free White Bread Mix OR Gluten Free Plain Flour
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• 2.5 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 200ml Water
• 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Method:

1. In a bowl add the bread mix/plain flour, salt, olive oil and Xanthan Gum to form a dough and then knead for five minutes. If too dry; add a little oil to make it more workable.
2. Divide the dough into golf ball sized pieces and roll in-between your palms. Then, on a floured surface, press flat.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pieces into four inch discs.
4. Transfer to a hot, dry, frying pan and lightly cook, then transfer back to the table. The pastry tends to puff up with the hot air so flatten it and cut it in half.
5. Make a cone shaped pouch by using pastry glue on the bottom side.
6. Add a filling of your choice and then glue, pinch and fold edges together to seal the samosas.
7. Heat hot oil in a saucepan and fry till golden.
8. For pastry glue: in a separate bowl mix two tablespoons of gluten free flour and mix with water to form a paste.

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

• 1 cup instant milk powder
• 1/4 cup white rice flour mix
• 1/3 cup whipping cream & milk as required
• 1/4 teaspoon scant baking soda or 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon rose water or two drops of rose essence
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. To make the sugar syrup combine sugar and water in a wide pan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for seven minutes. Add rose water and keep it warm.
2. To make the dough for gulab jamuns combine flour, milk powder and baking soda or baking powder together.
3. Add whipping cream and bind the mixture with your fingers, to form a loose and sticky dough.
4. Scrape the dough from your fingers with a dough scraper or with a knife and let it sit for five minutes (it will firm up a bit like cookie dough). If the dough looks dry add a little milk.
5. Divide the mixture into eighteen to twenty equal portions roughly the size of a nickel.
6. Grease your palms and roll each portion into a round balls, there should be no cracks on the surface as otherwise the gulab jamun will crack while frying.
7. Keep the balls covered with moist kitchen towel so that they don’t dry out. (They need to be fried immediately after rolling so ensure that you heat the oil while rolling).
8. Heat the oil in a pan or wok to deep fry the balls.
9. After the oil heats up gently slide four to five balls in the oil. The balls will sink to the bottom and then rise up themselves.
10. Using a skimmer strainer, move around the dough balls to ensure even browning.
11. Once the balls are evenly copper browned, remove and drain on an absorbent paper.
12. Continue frying the rest of the dough balls until done.
13. After they have cooled a little add it to the simple sugar syrup and leave to soak overnight or at least two hours before serving. If not serving right away then refrigerate.

Puri

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rice flour
• 1.5 cups water or add as required
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel powder
• Pinch of fenugreek powder
• 1 teaspoon oil for the dough
• Salt as required
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mix the spices and salt with the rice flour. Heat the water till it begins to boil and then add the hot boiling water to the rice flour mixture.
2. Cover with a lid and let this mixture become warm, for about twenty to twenty five minutes.
3. Add one teaspoon oil or ghee and then begin to mix everything with your hands.  Knead till smooth and even.
4. Cover and let the dough rest for twenty five to thirty minutes more or till it cools completely.
5. Make small or medium balls from the dough.
6. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan.
7. Place the ball on a zip lock bag or plastic sheet. Flatten the ball to a round size till you get the shape of a puri. Gently remove the puri from the zip lock bag and slide it into hot oil.
8. Only add one or two puris at a time depending on the size of your pan. Wait for the puri to start puffing up.
9. Gently press and nudge the puri in circular motions so that it puffs up completely.
10. Turn over the puri and fry the other side.
11. Flip the puri once or twice more, till it turns a golden brown colour.
12. Remove and drain the puris on paper towels to remove excess oil.
13. Serve hot with a curry of your choice.

Chana Chaat

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of chickpeas (measure before soaking)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber chopped
• Few sprigs of coriander leaves
• 1 to 2 green chili chopped
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon thick tamarind paste or lemon juice (adjust as needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon dates syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder
• Chaat masala as needed
• Pepper powder as desired

Method:

1. Soak chickpeas in lot of water for at least six to eight hours.
2. Pressure cook chickpeas till soft. You can pressure cook for two whistles with little water. You can even cook in a pot with enough water to cover them. Cook till they turn soft. Cool them completely.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Toss well.
4. Add in plain yoghurt (optional).

The recipes above are household favourites that not only follow your gluten free diet, but they also satisfy your taste buds.

Who says there are not any good gluten free Desi recipes out there?

They are definitely out there, and ready for you to experiment with.