Prata or Thosai - Which has Gluten?

Photo of a Indian Roti Prata with curry dips.

A true blue Singaporean childhood would not be complete without Roti Prata; the crispy, buttery croissant-like pancake eaten with sugar and curry, is a staple for the young and old, for breakfast and supper, 365 days a year. There are many 24-hour prata joints across the island, operated by Indian-Muslim owners, but patronized by all ethnic groups - Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians.

When I began my unglutening journey, I learned to my dismay that Roti Prata was out of bounds for somebody like me. Roti Prata, is made from flour, which gives it the unmistakable crispy light layers on the outside while maintaining a slightly chewy center. I will not lie to say that I was devastated to learn that I could not have them anymore.

Hence, I started exploring alternative Indian breads, hoping that I would find something close to Roti Prata. But first, here's a list of wheat-based Indian breads that traditionally contain gluten:

• Roti Prata, Paratha

• Roti Canai (Malaysia)

• Chapati

• Naan

• Puri

• Samosa

And here's the list of non-wheat Indian breads that do not contain gluten:

• Thosai or Dosa

• Utthapam

• Idli

A few caveats to take note of on the above list:

• These are based on the common Indian breads available in Singapore.

• I am sure there are many more types in India. Happy to learn more about them if you are from there!

• The above list is based on the traditional recipes; hence there are thosai made from wheat flour but they are not the norm in Singapore.

• Similarly, there are naan made from non-wheat flour in India, but again they are not the norm in Singapore.

  
  

Anyhow, since I had to ungluten my life, I started to appreciate the non-prata alternatives especially Thosai and Utthapam. Here're three reasons (besides the fact that they are gluten free) why you should try them too:

1. Healthier, less calories as compared to Roti Prata

2. Good for gut health, as they are made from fermented legumes.

3. Eaten with healthier and tasty dips - chutenys and dhal, unlike curry which is loaded with calories and oil.

   
   

Now that you know the health benefits of the non-gluten alternatives to Roti PRata, will you try them the next time you visit a Indian-Muslim shop?

Read Next: The Closest Non-Gluten Alternative to Roti Prata - Crispy and Shiok!