Help please before 6pm! Dairy free indian food - WHAT?

[oopsdeadagain]

We have just been invited out to a local Indian restaurant. I can't eat dairy or eggs and I know yogurt is in LOADS of indian food.

We are going at 7.30. I will ask them what dishes are dairy-free, but I have no idea if they will actually know (or care!), so does anybody here know if there is a curry or dish that is guaranteed to NOT have yogurt in?

I am fine with ghee, it is the milk proteins I have to avoid so ghee and butter are fine. (butter has a tiny amount of the protein but not enough to be a problem).

I love spices so I don't care how hot the dish is, just that it doesn't have dairy.

Help!

a lot of dishes dont have yoghurt in them, just ask them which dishes dont have yoghurt, or alternatively stick with the grilled food, so chicken tikka without masala, tandoori chicken, chops, kebabs, fish etc

instead of dairy free i would just ask them about yoghurt and eggs tbh, dont want to confuse them....

I don't think they use eggs... do they?

They are very nice, I ate there a year or so ago (pre-weird-diet ) but I'm not sure what they are like re allergies etc. I guess I will find out tonight!

Good idea about sticking to 'dry' dishes. I could have tikka, though would really miss having a nice curry.

A curry with a tomato base wouldn't have dairy in it, surely? So things like bhuna, rogan josh would be ok?

Lentil dal should be fine too.

Well I just got home, they were fab! They don't use yogurt or cream in anything except the mild dishes, so I could have anything from a bhuna on up - and all the side dishes were fine too.

No desserts though.

Having owned a restaurant I would recommend that you call them now, i.e before you get there and it's busy and they just want your order, and ask to speak to someone about the menu. They should be able to tell you at least 4 or 5 dishes that don't contain yogurt or cream - if they are helpful, ask their name. (Then you could google the dishes to check if they generally contain diary to put your mind at ease.) When you get there ask to speak to the same person if possible. Above all be charming and grateful- works wonders!

oops just saw OP was yesterday ...glad it went well

I'm pretty sure vindaloos are dairy free. But they are very spicy!