WHEN EVERY DAY/DISH IS AN INVENTION TEST

What do you do when all your doctors turn around and let you know that the only way you can stop yourself from vanishing into thin air is to eat home food?

When food itself gets classified by your body as Enemy number 1

Yes, I love Bollywood films and couldn’t resist throwing this in

If you are a foodie, especially the kind who likes to eat and not necessarily cook then chances are you will have the same kind of reaction I did.

I felt the earth stop moving under my feet. Literally.

I got so overwhelmed that I nearly fainted.

You see the “outside food” didn’t just mean all restaurant food but also included all pre-packaged food, all sauces, all masalas and everything which I was allergic or intolerant too.

And as those of you who are following my blog  from the beginning know,  that was just "5 veggies, 1 fruit, chicken, mutton, rice, wheat, 1 brand of curd, butter, bread and a few limited spices"

So was I going to spend my life eating the same dish every day for the rest of my life.

I did.

I lasted 3 months.

Then I howled at myself and said my life isn’t over. It’s just started.

Taking a cue from one of my favourite shows – Masterchef Australia, I turned my life and most importantly my kitchen into an Invention test.

So nearly every Friday night, Saturday and sometimes even a Sunday see me inventing a dish safe for me to eat.

Why do I only invent during the weekend or holidays you might ask?

As every fellow allergy suffer knows – only try something new when there is someone around to help you if you have a reaction.

Why did I not just follow recipes from say gluten free or vegan recipe books, you might say.

Well I couldn’t follow recipes from books – I wasn’t fitting into any particular type of allergy, so out went  the gluten free, the lactose free recipes, out went most of the Indian ones too as I was allergic to Garam Masala as well.

So I started by giving myself some ingredients that I could eat and then decide on which type of cuisine and dish I felt like eating that day and create it with my ‘safe’ ingredients.

I have gone on to create Chinese food without soya sauce and corn flour or any other sauce for that matter.

Lemon rice without lemons (yes you read that right)

Made my own Garam Masala with the few spices that I can eat( absolutely no difference in taste) so I can still enjoy my Indian and Punjabi khaana.

Air fried tandoori snacks and happily also got back my favourite French Fries.

The non-fried version tastes better and doesn’t feel heavy on the tummy too

The result – some misses, some reactions but some really tasty inventions whose recipes have even made it all around the globe (through friends and family)

And nearly everything is preservative free and healthy.

I admit I do resort to making some junk food too. It just now turns out to be healthy junk food ☺

And the best news, after doing this for a year I was able to pick out some of my favourite chefs recipes and reinvent them with the things I could eat.

Seeing my enthusiasm for inventing or rather in some cases re-inventing the wheel, my hubby presented me with my very own customised (by him) recipe book. This conveniently is on the ipad and has awesome classifications for a foodie like me.

I can now dab a few buttons and find my own inventions or the adaptations of other recipes I had done to suit me.

My quest to fill my tummy with healthy food has only been possible thanks to shows like Masterchef which are not only good for learning new recipes but also for the awesome pep talks that Gary, George and Matt give the contestants to keep going on no matter what. Cheers to awesome chefs like Jamie Oliver who are slowly bringing in the revolution of healthy home food with as less preservatives as possible.

Also a big, big thank you to friends and family for letting me poke at your food in restaurants and smell the dishes in order to figure out the ingredients so I could recreate it for myself.

Over the next few months I will be sharing some of my inventions with you. Hope you and your gut like it a lot.

No matter what your food allergy, remember there is always a dish that can be made for you.

As always trustyourgutinstinct.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is about my health experiences.The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with their doctor.