The South Asians Going Gluten-Free

When asked about my favorite food as a child, my answer was always gobi paratha. I’d watch my Nani roll the dough, stuff it with cauliflower, and then place it on the hot pan. She’d feed it to me with the same words Hrithik Roshan’s Raj declares when Rani Mukerji’s Puja places a piece of gobi paratha into his mouth in Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002): “Kisi aur ki haath se khaane ka mazaa hi kuch aur hai.” When someone else feeds you, the taste is even better.

Only recently, after a test revealed severe gluten sensitivity, I now skip the parathas and opt for ragi roti (with finger millet flour), kuttu ki puri (with buckwheat flour), or cheela (with chickpea flour). For many South Asians going gluten-free — either due to allergies or choice — leaving behind wheat feels like a drastic, almost impossible lifestyle change. And studies have found that South Asians diagnosed with celiac disease have a far harder time complying. What explains this growing trend among the community and how are they dealing with it?