Is Indian Food Gluten Free? Gluten-Free & Vegetarian Guide

Which Indian and Nepalese dishes are gluten free, vegetarian or vegan-friendly, and how to order safely at Avatar Indian & Nepalese Restaurant, Bundoora.

“Is Indian food gluten free?” is one of the most common questions we get, along with “what’s vegetarian?” and “can you make it vegan?”. The short answer: a lot of Indian and Nepalese food is naturally free of wheat, and the vegetarian range is huge. Here’s how to order with confidence.

Is Indian food gluten free?

Many Indian curries are thickened with onion, tomato, yoghurt, cream, lentils or nuts rather than flour, and rice is the main side, so plenty of dishes don’t contain gluten ingredients. The usual exceptions are breads (naan, roti and paratha), pastry (samosas), some fried or coated snacks, noodles, and anything with soy sauce.

On Avatar’s menu, dishes marked (G) contain gluten, and (N) contain nuts. Our kitchen handles flour every day, so if you have coeliac disease or a serious allergy, please tell staff when ordering and we’ll talk you through the options. We can’t guarantee there’s no cross-contact.

Good choices without a (G) on our menu

• Tandoor: chicken tikka, malai chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, seekh kebab, paneer tikka, mushroom tikka.
• Nepalese grills: chicken or goat sekuwa, chicken choila.
• Curries: butter chicken, rogan josh, korma, palak paneer, dal makhani, dal tadka and most of the mains.
• Rice and biryani: jeera, saffron, coconut and pea rice, and biryani with raita.

Skip the naan and pair curries with rice instead.

Vegetarian Indian and Nepalese food

Vegetarians are spoilt for choice. Some favourites from our menu:

• Entrées: paneer tikka, onion bhaji, mixed veg pakoda, piro aloo, chatpate, samosa chaat.
• Momo: every momo style comes with a veg filling.
• Curries: dal makhani, dal tadka, palak paneer, malai kofta, shahi paneer, aloo gobi, bagare baingan and aloo bodi tama.
• Rice: veg biryani and vegetarian fried rice.

Is the meat halal?

Yes. All the meat we serve at Avatar is halal.

Can Indian food be vegan?

Yes, with a few swaps. Lentil, potato, chickpea and vegetable dishes are naturally plant-based at their core, but restaurant versions often use ghee, butter, cream, yoghurt or paneer. Tell us you’re vegan and we’ll point you to dishes we can prepare without dairy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Indian food gluten free?

Many curries, tandoori dishes, dals and rice dishes contain no gluten ingredients, but naan, roti, samosas, some fried snacks and noodles do. Always tell staff if you’re coeliac.

Is naan gluten free?

No. Naan, roti and paratha are made with wheat flour. Choose rice instead.

Is butter chicken gluten free?

Butter chicken is usually made without flour, but recipes vary and cross-contact is possible, so check with the restaurant.

Are there vegetarian options at Avatar Bundoora?

Yes. There’s a large range of vegetarian entrées, veg momo, paneer and dal curries, and veg biryani, plus vegan and gluten-free options.

Hungry now? Order online, book a table or browse the full menu. Avatar Indian & Nepalese Restaurant, 12 Copernicus Crescent, Bundoora · (03) 9191 5003.