Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Indian Food with Lactose Intolerance

Country forums / Indian Subcontinent / India

I'm going to India for the first time in August and I'll be staying for 4 months in Punjab for an internship, contiued by one month of travelling around. Altough I generally like the Indian food that one get's here in Europe, I am really concerned about what I am able to eat once in India. I have a lactose intolerance (small amounts are OK, butter is fine too, but definitely no milk, cream or yogurt) and the lactase tablets/capsules don't work for me, so I really have to make sure to avoid dairy products.
Can anyone who knows the North Indian cuisine give me some advice which kind of food that is widely available is lactose-free and which things I should avoid? Do they use a lot of dairy products in their meals?
Are lactose-free products available in supermarkets?

Thanks!

If butter is ok then you should have no problem...many dishes are prepared with ghee(butter) , milk and yoghurt is easy to spot and avoid..E.g lassi, sweets made with concentrated milk.

Edited by: nijkerk

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Wikipedia to the rescue! Hope you find this link useful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_cuisine

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you are going to a state where lactose contributes to a major role in daily diet. :)

there are some Punjabi foods which are rich in lactose:
1.Cheese(Paneer in Hindi)- it is mainly used in curries like 'kadhai paneer' etc
2. Butter( Makahan in hindi)- it is usually served with 'paranthas' or in curries.
3. Sweets made from milk & some desserts like 'Kulfi'
4. Some drinks like Lassi, shakes etc.

So just try to avoid these things. You will get to know more as you move in.

& don't worry you will find alternate to them in plenty of supermarkets.

have a happy & healthy stay. :)

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You'll also need to look out for yoghurt and cream used in curries. It shouldn't be too hard to avoid though. I'd check with people you are working with to find out the names of things to avoid.

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