Gluten Free Alternatives

Gluten-free alternatives

By Vidhya Raghavan

In the last couple of months, I wrote about ‘Gluten-free resources in Jeddah’ and ‘Gluten-free restaurants and take outs in Jeddah’. This month, I will discuss ‘Gluten-free alternatives in Jeddah’.

There are plenty of flour mills around Jeddah where you can choose the grains/lentils/ seeds/nuts and have them ground it into flour. Indian/Pakistani mills offer those choices. The one that I have used before is Yasmin Flour Mills in Azeezya district. Here are some suggestions for gluten-free alternative grains. I have also provided the Hindi version of the flours. You can mix some of these flours to make flatbread or pancakes.

English:	Hindi
Amaranth	Rajghira atta
Sorghum	Jawar atta
Corn flour or Maize	Makki atta
Tapioca or Cassava	Sabudana atta
Millet	Bajra/Ragi atta

There are ladies who can make gluten-free Indian flat breads from home using the above ingredients, for affordable prices. Do check out whatsapp groups, Facebook groups and post an enquiry. Here’s the details of some of the ladies who make homemade gluten free food.

• Ms.Maha Alwassia +966 54885 5393 makes millet bread with or without sugar. I have personally not tried her bread yet, and I intend to.
• Ms.Aksha +506872406 makes plenty of gluten-free dishes. I would highly recommend her, and prices are reasonable.
  • Khandvi: steam cooked chickpea flour tofu snacks
  • Dhokla: steam cooked chickpea flour roll snacks
  • Khadi: curry made out of chickpea flour served with hot and steaming rice.
  • Besan ka laddo: chick pea flour balls that are served as desserts
• Meryam: +966 54 928 5566 makes sour dough breads. I have tried her breads – she home delivers. She uses organic ingredients, so the prices may be a little bit high but worth it as the breads melt in your mouth.

Some of the Asian grocers and supermarkets may stock the following gluten-free alternatives. The Chinese script has also been provided for so you show it to the grocer, if needed.

• Sweet potato starch noodle 红薯粉丝
• Thin) 红薯粉条 and thick) japchae (Korean)
• Glass noodle/ mung bean starch noodle 粉丝
• Rice noodle 米线 thin) 米粉 (thick)
• Tofu

I hope you enjoy your gluten-free meals in Jeddah!

N.B: Please make sure you do your own research to check if the above resources are gluten free.