Made to order

But as an awareness is on the rise regarding intolerance towards gluten as well as several other food items — milk,soy,seafood and a variety of nuts — Mumbai eateries have started to customise products to suit the needs of those who suffer from these allergies.

For instance,popular Mumbai creperie Suzette serves gluten-free crepes made using buckwheat flour and Le Café in Chembur stocks up on gluten-free gooey chocolate cake. Smoke House Deli addresses the preferences of vegans with its Curried Vegan Burger,where the patty is made of soy mix. Similarly,Ray’s Cafe & Pizzeria has a small selection of vegan dishes on its menu,including salads and pizzas that are made sans cheese.

“In order to cater to our lactose intolerant customers,we customise our cakes to exclude milk in any form. Many children suffer from this condition. Why should they be deprived of such delicacies on their birthdays?” says Priya Laxman,owner of Piccoli Tortini where coconut milk and chocolate without dairy are used in cakes. Laxman also ensures the use of a different set of utensils to prepare gluten- or lactose-free items as even

cross-contamination can prove harmful.

Rithika Ramesh’s The Green Stove has been churning out vegan delicacies,including cupcakes,breads,cheese spreads and even chocolates for the last three years. Recently,Ramesh also penned the Mumbai edition of international vegan guides that are available in an e-book format. “Since Mumbai doesn’t really have vegan restaurants,the idea was to put together a list of places that are open to customising the food and a list of food items that is by nature vegan,” says Ramesh.

But subscribing to an alternative set of ingredients comes with its own challenges,especially in achieving the perfect texture and flavour for a dish can prove tricky. For instance,Mukhija admits that the taste of gluten-free breads needs getting used to.

In case of Bandra-based Fitness Bakery,sorghum or jowar works as a replacement for maida but the challenge was to make the cakes as moist without the use of butter in their range of ‘health’ products. “Fruits such as banana and orange are added to address that issue,” says Mustafa Ahmed,co-owner of the bakery.

It is also important that eateries as well as the customers understand that sometimes,these limitations leave one with little option. For instance,among other intolerances,Piccoli Tortini also acknowledges artificial food colouring allergies,especially among young children. “The solution is natural colours from beetroot and spinach for the icing. But as a result,these are the only colours we can offer,” says Laxman,whose clients have made peace with the fact.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com