Indian Food

[colormist]

This whole week has been the annual Art Fairs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My office is located two blocks from the festivities. Today, my coworker asked me to walk with her to get food. So I walk and contemplate buying a bag of chips for 75-cents. She stops at the Indian booth. I just about start gnawing on the customer's Tandoori chicken as he walks by. It was clearly sheer torture. I didn't remember how much I loved it.

I loved Indian food before I was diagnosed. It was a rare treat (as it's a bit expensive in my area), but I didn't remember it ever making me ill. So I thought I'd ask you guys if you've had any experiences with Indian food.

Today, specifically, Tandoori Chicken & Naan. Or Hyderbadi... The rice, of course, looks fine (and yummy).

Afterwards, I went back to my desk to "enjoy a delicious" box of Cheese Nips accompanied with a tub of Plain Yogurt.

Of course, after an unsatisfying lunch like that, I am still in pain.

[lisa]

They sell naan in the frozen food section at TJoes that has no sugar. Maybe that would be OK. I think everything else tends to have lots of onions in it, but I don't think they use much sugar, so you may have some good luck.

I have seen arabic bread and yogurt/spinach dip that has no sugar. You may want to try those as an alternative to get some more flavor.

I would look up indian food recipes on line and see if you can find a trend in the recipes. Seems american spice mixes tend to have sugar in them, so that is where you'd need to be most careful.
Let me know how it goes.
Lisa

[colormist]

I was very distracted with the thought of Indian Food yesterday (STILL AM...) and looked up a few recipes for Tandoori Chicken. It looks like it's made with plain yogurt and lots of spices (garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper). The spices tend to vary with the recipe, but I think I'd be okay so long as nothing was added to the yogurt marinade. From memory, it was just spicy chicken--nothing even remotely sweet.

I'll have to risk TJ's again, I guess. Pick up some naan. I need to make some grocery bags, first!

[Guest]

I eat Indian food a lot- I stick to the Tandoori Chicken and plain white rice. I have them serve it plain on the plate instead of on top of the onions, peppers, & broccoli. Thankfully, I have done very well. I order mine extra mild and there isn't any sweetness to it at all. To be on the safe side, I follow up with Smarties.

[sarosh]

I am Indian and let me assure you that both Tandoori chicken and Hyderabadi rice are good for us unless they add sugar in the restuarant.

[CJSculpts]

Colormist, I have noticed in several posts that you seem to do okay with garlic and wheat. I am starting my elimination diet & I hope that I turn out to be so lucky! Very jealous in the meantime!!
According to my list(s) cumin is okay but ginger and "hot chili pepper" (not sure if this means cayenne or something else) are not okay or even maybes. Let me know if you find anything different. I would love some Indian food! : d Nomnomnom!
It is funny how the smell thing can work for or against us. I was at a party last week that was 100% homemade doughnuts. The smell was driving me NUTS! I could almost taste the donuts so it was torture. On the other hand, I have started to make Adam breath on me when he eats something that I cannot have. I think that the difference is that when you can use the smell to recall your taste sense memory, it is nice unless the food is withi your reach and then it is just cruel and unusual punishment.

[colormist]

Ginger has caused me some issues--I'm not sure if fresh ginger or ginger powder cause any problems, but pre-smashed jarred ginger has loads of fructose in it. I tend to veer toward spices over fresh anything.

I haven't noticed any problems with cayenne or red pepper--I'm not sure if that's the same as hot chili pepper.

mmmmmm... butter pecan ice cream. I miss that so much. My husband purposefully breathes on me when he eats it. Such a meanie.

[CJSculpts]

I have been wondering about the powdered spice vs. fresh thing. I am reaaaaaallly going to miss ginger with sushi. Adam's dad & I always order extra bowls of it. Speaking of sushi... do you know if radishes are safe?? Daikon radishes??

[colormist]

No idea on radishes. You can look it up on the nutritional database site we link to in our links thread (somewhere at the bottom of the page). I'm partial to red radishes--I'm not sure what their official name is--they don't seem to cause any adverse effects.

[ukbill]

The Ginger used in Sushi is usually pickled in a sweet vinegar, you can use fresh ginger if you can stand the heat or thinly slice it and soak it in milk to take the heat out of it for several hours or overnight in the fridge before use.

Yes there is likely to be some Fructose in the Ginger however I doubt if you could eat enough Ginger to get a fructose reaction.. I am sure the ginger would get you first!

Radishes are a tricky one I used to eat the small hot ones we used to grow in the garden as a child. however I cannot touch them now..

Since I was about 15 years old I get instant really bad wind! (both ends) and chronic cramps for a number of hours.

I have tried all sorts of Radishes form the Huge white ones sold in Indian food shops to the little round ones and I find the big mild flavoured ones are sweet and the small ones give me wind.

So I avoid them now

Regards

Bill A.
PS the smell of real doughnuts make feel me physically sick. When out at events where there are mobile Doughnut vans I try to pass up wind of them or hold my breath while I pass them, which can be difficult if there are a lot of people in the same area! I love my home made ones though!

[hfimomof3]

I eat lots of indian food but I stay away from anything with tomatoes. The packaged naan tends to be sweet but you can learn to make fresh naan from online tutorials.

[Roza&Meryem]

My friend have an indian restaurant in copenhagen. I will ask him if its safe.. Actually try to get a good recipe, so we can try it at home and avoid sugar. Ill post when i catch him