Philadelphia Chutney Co is the Place to Take Your Gluten Free, Indian Food Hating Friends

I know there are people out there who simply do not love the flavors of Indian cooking, and that’s their business. And of course, like myself, there are tons of people who seek out Indian food. At Philadelphia Chutney Company both types of diners can share a table. Many of the dosas are filled with atypical ingredients, like ones you would find in a wrap. So, this is a way someone could dip their toe into trying Indian food, with experiencing the dosa wrapper, while remaining in their comfort zone. And, since the 2 menu items -dosas and uttapas- are gluten free, this was the another place to dine with my gluten free, non-Indian food loving friend.

Not all of the appetizers are gluten free, like the fried lentil cake, but the steamed lentil cake (idli) is. For $2.50 you get 3 cakes that have a texture and taste similar to injera (Ethiopian bread that I personally do not like), but much more pleasant and subtle on both fronts. It didn’t taste like lentils in any way, more like sour dough bread. The big cup of curry could have used some sweetness for balance, also it seems silly to have such a large cup of curry and only 3 patties to dip in it.

As I mentioned, wrap like dosas take up a good portion of the menu. We tried the arugula, calamata olive, goat cheese, tomato, onion version. I like wraps conceptually, but usually do not enjoy the wrap part themselves. So for me, because of the dosa, this was a better version of a typical wrap filled with good ingredients. The length of the dosa can be a little cumbersome, but its easy to rip off the end piece.

The Old School Masala Dosa comes with a spiced potato filling. The potato filling had some spice to it, but needed the added dimension of the side of chutney it comes with. Our favorite chutneys were the creamy carrot (seasonal) and tomato. The mango chutney tasted great, but it was so sweet it tasted better with the ripped off ends of the dosas as a palate cooler rather than co-mingling with the filling.

A better bet was the $7 Masala Premium (spiced Indian potato filing, cheese, tomato, onion & spinach) on an uttapa. The dough is more substantial here and works with the more traditional ingredients, while the dosa seems to be a great fit for the fusion wrap type fillings. The portion is really filling, a great deal for the price. This too could convince a non-Indian food eater to try something new, just sell it as spicy potato pizza.

Be sure to check their twitter, they offer great discounts regularly,

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

  • I can get my Indian, you can get a twist on a wrap or a pizza
  • Majority of the menu is gluten free
  • The uttapas are fun to eat, filling, and a great value

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • The curry dipping sauce and chutney both should be better balanced
  • Where’s the meat?
  • None of the flavors could really pass as super authentic

Philadelphia Chutney Company, 1628 Sansom Street (@ 17th) 215 564-6446

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