indian food

[elora.sharon]

hi! this is my first whole 30, and i am on day four. so far it's going well, though i'm still learning how much food to pack with me for work and school to get me through the day. anyways, here's my question: next week i am doing a volunteer activity with some co-workers, and we always go to this indian restaurant afterwards. does anyone know which indian foods might be compliant? i love indian food, but i wouldn't have a clue as to some of the ingredients. the good thing is that i'm going with someone who also doesn't eat gluten or processed sugar, so she always makes a point to ask about ingredients. however, i'm not sure about dairy, legumes, etc. as far as most dishes go. any suggestions? has anyone eaten indian out on w30 before?

thanks!

elora

[Beets]

I would stay away from sauces and eat the most plain things I could find on the menu. Like a piece of fish or meat, grilled or broiled with no sauce on it, and a veg, as plain as could be. I wouldn't eat any salad dressings or condiments. That would be really hard, because the sauces are so yummy--not to mention the naan. But I would imagine it'd be pretty hard to get a very good understanding of what exactly is in anything with a bunch of different ingredients.

Your friend can ask about sugar and gluten, but there are other things for you to consider like the type of oils used, and whatever chemically based products are used in the kitchen. I am not sure if MSG is used in Indian restaurants but you definitely want to avoid that. (If it is a place with a reputation for very clean, elemental basic food that'd be one thing, but I would guess that most restaurants are using commercially prepared sauces or sauce bases that will have a whole bunch of questionable items. I think back to working in a restaurant where all of our sauces came in giant 50 gallon jugs. Brrrr.)

Frankly I am afraid to eat out during my 30 days. I hate asking a bunch of questions so it's easier to cook it myself. But of course not everyone is going to avoid social functions for 30 days.

[upinairnomad]

Yes, you are in a tight spot. Even Tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt before grilling. And most of the curries are made with yogurt and cream... Honestly, your best bet is going to be a salad with grilled chicken and lemon wedges instead of dressing.

[MelliebuStacey]

Unfortunately, you're in a bind I too love Indian cuisine; however, there is very little that doesn't use non-compliant ingredients in their reperitoire. I'd go with upinairnomad's suggestion--and in addition, would recommend eating a compliant meal at home prior to going out--you have total control in your kitchen, remember that

[elora.sharon]

This is tough, because it's a buffet-style Indian restaurant, so I essentially have no control, and even if I eat a big breakfast, we're still going to be at this volunteer event from like 9-1, and then I have to go to work after. Ah. Maybe I can suggest that we go somewhere else, where I could get a salad much easier and avoid all of this (it's just that my boss is crazy and I fear diverting from her plan....).

Thanks everyone!

[kat2021]

Southern Indian food has a lot less dairy in it - a lot of their dishes are based on coconut milk or vinegar sauces rather than dairy, so you could try to find a restaurant that specializes in that region rather than northern cuisine. There's a restaurant near me that marks everything that it gluten free and dairy free, so that's a good guide if you can find a restaurant that can tell you those things. However, that still doesn't tell you about added sugar or the cooking oils they use.

[elora.sharon]

OK, so my work people have decided on this place instead, which helps me out a little more because I have options, but it seems like everything has rice, noodles, etc.: https://sites.google.com/site/centrestreetcafejp/menu - So my options, again, are limited.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking either a plain burger with side salad (or the Sloppy Jose, minus bun & cheese); the apple walnut salad sans dressing, add chicken; or the curry (ingredient-depenging), minus the rice and peanuts.

Thanks everyone!

[Lora Friedenthal]

Maybe the burger and a side of their veggies steamed instead of stir-fried?

[Egre4926]

The arugula salad, minus the croutons with chicken (or the livers), or the apple walnut salad minus the dressing with chicken work. This is what I tend to do when out, but the burger & side sald (ensure no dressing) works as well

[Erika*]

... it seems like everything has rice, noodles, etc. . .

Don't let that turn you off from a menu option that looks good otherwise, just ask for more veggies instead of the rice. (You may not get many more veggies, since they are more expensive then the rice, but occasionally you get someone in the kitchen who will throw a big pile of veggies on your plate.)