“How do you expect children to avoid gluten when it’s in all their favourite foods — pizza, burger and cakes?” Navatha N demands to know. Her son can’t have foods that have gluten.
Finding gluten-free food in the city is a challenge. NB Devi, founder of Chocolate Craft Club (CCC), a 100% gluten-free bakery in Visakhapatnam agrees. “There aren’t enough stores which provide gluten-free meals or groceries,” she says.
- Chocolate Craft Club and Golokadhaam Gardens Green
- @ 45-49-6, Abid Nagar Road, Akkayyapalem
- 98493 98887
- Dark Love
- @ Dwaraka Nagar, near Tiny-Tots High School
- 80999 50926
“ Devi started her bakery two years ago. She says the idea came to her post an accident after which she had to watch what she ate. “Eating healthy led help me recover quickly. But why must people wait for their health to falter before eating healthy,” she asks.
Club sandwich at the Chocolate Craft Club, a 100% gluten-free bakery at Akkayyaplem in Visakhapatnam
So in her cafe she has gluten-free versions of black forest, coffee, Ferrero rocher and milk butterscotch. CCC also sells gluten-free sandwiches and air fried millet-based namkeen, under its sister company Golokadhaam Gardens Green (GGG). A sandwich at GGG costs around ₹100 and it’s really filling. Crunchy snacks like chakli, chips and murukulu are made using kodo, little, ragi, jowar, foxtail and barnyard millets.
- Ingredients: 50 gms millet cookies , 1 gm baking powder, 50ml coconut milk/ coconut water
- Method: Crush the millet cookies and mix in the baking powder; add coconut milk/water to prepare the batter; bake it in the microwave for 4-5 minutes at 90 degrees
- Tips: Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean then the cake is baked
- Add ons: Choco chips, nuts or nutella
Granola and chocolate-banana cake made by Dark Love Bakery.
“It’s good to see some small-scale business take the initiative to cater to niche demand. Hopefully an increase in awareness will lead to more such shops in the city,” says Navatha who hopes CCC will start selling gluten-free bread soon!. Devi also has vegan ice creams on her menu that she serves with an edible spoon. About 20% of her customers follow a vegan diet, she says. “It’s not only good for your health but also the environment.” Instead of milk, she uses soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk. Devi’s gluten-free and vegan food can be ordered on Swiggy and Zomato under GGG. Bhavika Nahata’s Dark Love baking unit in Dwarkanagar, also does vegan desserts. Avocado brownies, date cakes, carrot cakes and granola bars are but a few of what she has. Bhavika also conducts the occasional baking workshop. She too feels Vegan orders have increased in recent times. “However, the demand for gluten-free desserts has still not reached that level,” she says.
