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Are you under the impression that most Indian food is inherently gluten-free? While many traditional Indian dishes avoid gluten-containing ingredients like naan and roti, there's a hidden culprit lurking in the spice cabinet: hing, also known as asafoetida.
Asafoetida, a resin derived from the Ferula plant, is a common spice used in Indian cooking. However, compounded asafoetida is often mixed with wheat flour to facilitate handling and storage. While only a small amount of this mixture is typically added to dishes, it's enough to introduce a significant amount of gluten into your meal.
When dining out, the key question to is whether the dish contains hing or asafoetida. Unfortunately, many people overlook this spice as a potential source of gluten, leading to inadvertent consumption by those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
To learn more, we have added a few of our favorite blog posts focusing on hing, idlis and dosas. These posts look into where gluten may be present in these dishes and provide insights on how to safely enjoy them.
Post: Are Idli Gluten-Free?
Post: Are Dosai Gluten-Free?
Post: Hidden Gluten: Hing (Compounded Asafoetida)
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