Is Naan Gluten Free? What Coeliacs Can Eat Instead
Naan is the bread most people order with a curry, so it is the first thing gluten-free diners ask us about. The answer is no, and it is worth knowing why, and what to eat instead, because a lot of an Indian menu is naturally free of wheat.
Is naan gluten free?
No. Traditional naan is made from wheat flour (usually plain or refined white flour), so it contains gluten and is not safe for people with coeliac disease. Tandoori roti, made from wholemeal wheat flour, contains gluten too. Steamed basmati rice is the usual gluten-free alternative to bread with Indian curries.
At Spicy Affair our naan dough is made in-house, from wheat flour, and every naan on the menu (plain, garlic, butter, cheese, chilli, Peshawari, aloo and keema) contains gluten.
What can you eat instead?
- Rice. Steamed basmati, jeera rice (cumin) and saffron rice are made from rice, not wheat.
- Tandoori dishes. Tandoori chicken and chicken tikka are marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked in the tandoor, with no flour coating.
- Many curries. Gravies thickened with onion, tomato, cream, yoghurt or ground cashew rather than flour.
- Lentils. Dal tadka and dal makhani are made from lentils and beans.
- Cucumber raita, made with yoghurt, cucumber and herbs.
What to be careful with
Some starters are battered or wrapped in pastry. Samosas use a wheat pastry. Onion bhaji and pakora use gram flour, which is made from chickpeas and gluten free in itself, but they may be fried in the same oil as wheat-based items. Asafoetida (hing), a spice used in some dals, is often blended with wheat flour. And in any busy kitchen, flour from naan making can travel.
None of that means you cannot eat Indian food with coeliac disease. It means you should ask.
Questions to ask when you order
- Is this sauce thickened with flour?
- Is the fryer shared with battered or pastry items?
- Does the dal contain asafoetida, and is it a gluten-free blend?
- Can the dish be prepared away from where the naan is made?
Tell our team you are coeliac, not just "avoiding gluten", when you order. The difference matters to a kitchen, and they will talk you through the ingredients of each dish.
A gluten-aware order for two
Start with tandoori chicken and mint chutney. Share a butter chicken and a dal makhani, with steamed basmati and saffron rice instead of naan, and a cucumber raita. Check each dish with the team as above. It is a full, filling Indian dinner without a single piece of bread. If you are not sure which dishes suit you, our first-timer’s guide to ordering and the FAQ page are good places to start.
Quick answers
Is garlic naan gluten free?
No. Garlic naan is regular naan with garlic and butter, so it contains wheat gluten.
Is basmati rice gluten free?
Yes. Plain rice is naturally gluten free.
Is butter chicken gluten free?
Butter chicken is usually made without wheat, but always check with the kitchen if you have coeliac disease. Eat it with rice, not naan.
Are poppadums gluten free?
Traditional poppadums are made from lentil flour, but recipes vary. Ask before you eat them.
