Leading ingredients experts, Eurostar Commodities has teamed up with author, chef, and master of Indian cookery, Anjula Devi to show people how easy and healthy it is to cook with gluten-free flour. With a series of delicious, high-quality recipes Anjula is asking people to make the switch to gluten-free during National Curry Week (4th – 10th October 2021).
Anjula will be creating a series of recipes for people to create delicious gluten-free foods at home and running an Instagram Live cooking tutorial on Wednesday 6th October 2021 working with Eurostar Commodities Gluten Free flours to produce; Gluten Free Roti (chapati), and gluten-free paratha. Additional recipes available for all to use will include Gluten Free Paratha Aloo, Gluten-Free Nan Bread and Gluten-Free plain paratha.
Anjula Devi has written two cookery books including best-selling, Spice for Life. She is most famous for her passion for nutritious and healthy Indian food. She has taught at cookery schools and events all over the world and her demonstrations showcase the best techniques, equipment, hints and tips to perfect your Indian cooking skills.
Anjula will showcase Eurostar Commodities Gluten-Free Clean Label Chapati Flours. A great alternative to traditional flour, this flour produces a workable dough that makes high quality, tasty chapati, still with softness and flexibility, giving great results. High in Fibre. Gluten-Free, Coeliac and Vegan friendly.
Anjula will also work with Gluten-Free Self-Raising Flour. This is a fine, white flour blended from naturally gluten-free ingredients, combined with quality gluten-free raising agents. Ideal for light sponges, scones, biscuits and homemade cakes. All products are 100% gluten and allergen-free, packed in gluten and allergen-free factory.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Anjula spoke about Asian food culture and her gluten-free initiative.
How would you describe historic Asian food culture and what according to you is the paradigm shift in good habits especially during the pandemic in Asian houses?
Core elements of Asian food culture have always been hospitality, family and an incredible choice of humble dishes. With more people working from home during the last 18 months, the shift has been towards cooking from scratch more often. People are now becoming more aware of healthy eating, have experimented with a broader range of ingredients and are gradually growing in confidence.
While there is increased dialogue around gluten-free food items, could you please simplify it for our readers? What is gluten and how does it impact our body?
Jason Bull, Eurostar Commodities, who developed the flour, says: “We saw many people talking about problems that they had with gluten, and with being coeliac. Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains, including wheat, rye, spelt, and barley. When you mix traditional wheat with water the gluten proteins form a sticky glue-like consistency. This glue-like property makes dough elastic and provides the ability to rise during baking. For the person eating, it gives a satisfying, chewy texture.
However, a small number of people react sensitively to gluten. This might show up as digestive problems like bloating, tiredness, stomach pains and diarrhoea. At the most severe end of the reaction is a coeliac disease which is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks gluten as a foreign invader and attacks the lining of the gut. This can affect the body’s ability to digest foods and may cause nutrient deficiencies, anaemia, and digestive problems. If you are concerned the Coeliac Society has lots of information.”
Eliminating gluten may not be the easiest task in our food culture. Why and how can we do this?
With companies like Eurostar developing gluten-free flours in a safe environment, it will become more achievable. Rotis are probably the item that is most often missed when you have to follow a gluten-free diet, with samosas featuring high up on the list too. Using Eurostar atta for rotis means people can still enjoy them. I often make samosas using their gluten-free plain flour.
Also, what is the difference between a roti, phulka and chapati? Or are they all the same?
There are differences. Chapattis are cooked on a tava, by repeatedly flipping them over, until ready. Phulkas are usually cooked initially on a tava on one side, then the other side is placed onto direct heat using a pair of tongs; they then take the shape of a ball due to the steam within the dough. A roti is an Indian flatbread, made from wholewheat flour, known as atta. In everyday language the terms roti and chapati are interchangeable.
Do you think Britain now understands the difference between curry and Indian food?
Traditional food is not known as 'curry' in the Indian culture and there are still huge misconceptions about Indian food throughout the UK. Traditional Indian cooking always uses fresh ingredients and involves making dishes from scratch. This means fewer preservatives and healthier food. This is not always the case in Indian takeaways where people are led to believe the food is typically unhealthy and high in fat. I have always loved creating healthy Indian dishes by keeping the art of Indian cooking alive but evolving with new and healthier techniques. My father used to say that "you've not eaten Indian food until you've eaten in an Indian home". The best Indian food is made from humble and simple ingredients.
If you were to educate a non-Asian about Indian food, what would a quintessential Indian platter look like?
Fresh vegetables (aloo gobi) and pulses (maa ki daal), with an array of pickles, some natural unsweetened yoghurt to clear the palette is also a must. Meat is generally eaten on the weekends. Rice and bread depending on what part of India you like to cook from. Most Punjabis would say an Indian meal is not complete without rotis or chapatis!
What according to you constitutes a good curry?
The two key essentials are fresh ingredients and the right combination of spices. I personally love to use whole spices and pound them in a pestle & mortar. A masala dabba is a must (a stainless steel spice box containing 7 smaller round pots, a lid and a spice spoon.) One of the most important things is to understand and gain a good knowledge of the spices you use, as fundamentally it’s all about the blending of those aromatic spices. Creating a great rich sauce, by reducing down onions and tomatoes, is also essential. Fresh ingredients like garlic, ginger and green chillies are great, but you can cook without them.
