By Dakshin Cuisine
Yes, you can eat wonderfully well at Dakshin if you're vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free. Many South Indian staples are built on rice, lentils, vegetables, and coconut, so many of our dishes are naturally free of meat, dairy, or wheat. Every vegan and gluten-free dish is marked on our menu, and this guide gathers them all in one place.
At a glance
- Vegan and gluten-free: more than a dozen dishes, from the Masala Dosa and Idli Sambar to Dal Tadka and Vegetable Chettinad
- Gluten-free: every dosa, curry, and biryani, and every dish in our Tandoor section
- Vegan bread: Roti, made with whole wheat
- Allergies: tell your server before you order, and we'll do our best to accommodate you
Why South Indian food suits vegan and gluten-free diets
Many South Indian classics begin with rice and lentils rather than wheat. Our dosas and idli are made from a rice and lentil batter, sambar is a stew of lentils and vegetables, and coconut brings richness to many dishes without any dairy. Our curries are made without wheat, which is why every curry on our menu is gluten-free.
Vegan and gluten-free dishes on our menu
Each of these dishes is both vegan and gluten-free:
- Dosas and idli: Masala Dosa, Mysore Masala Dosa, and Idli Sambar
- Street snacks: Gobi Manchurian, Mini Masala Dosa, and our Chutney Sampler with mango, tamarind-ginger, and coriander-chili chutneys and papad
- Soup and salad: Seasonal Soup with lentils, ginger, peppercorns, and curry leaves, and our Green Salad with kokum vinaigrette
- From My Hometown: Vegetable Chettinad with roasted coconut and black peppercorns
- Vegetarian curries: Dal Tadka, Punjabi Chole, Baingan Bartha, Masala Okra, Aloo Gobi, and Udupi Veg Curry
- Accompaniments: Mango Chutney and Mixed Pickle
Looking for bread? Our whole wheat Roti is vegan, though it isn't gluten-free.
Gluten-free favorites from across the menu
If you avoid gluten, most of our menu is open to you, including:
- Every dosa: from the Ghee Roast and Cheese Dosa to the Paneer, Chili Chicken, and Chicken Chettinad Dosas
- Every curry: including Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Kerala Fish Curry, Meen Moilee Halibut, Lamb Roganjosh, and Goat Curry
- Every dish in our Tandoor section: from Tandoori Chicken Tikka and Lamb Chops to Tandoori Salmon and Tandoori Paneer Tikka
- Every biryani: chicken, Chicken 65, lamb, goat, shrimp, paneer, and vegetable
- Snacks and sides: Chilli Chicken, Palak Chaat, Chicken Seekh Kebabs, Lobster Shrimp Bisque, Cucumber Raita, and Biryani Rice
Easy swaps if you avoid gluten
Our breads from the clay oven are made with wheat, so pair your curry with a dosa, a biryani, or a side of Biryani Rice instead. A few dishes aren't marked gluten-free on our menu, including Samosa Chaat, Papri Chaat, Bhel Puri, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Chicken 65, the Cauliflower Pecorino Kulcha, and Medu Vada Sambar, so choose from the dishes above instead.
Plenty for vegetarians
Vegetarians have even more to choose from. Our Vegetarian section adds Paneer Makhani, Saag Paneer, Vegetable Korma, and Dal Makhani to the vegan curries above, and you'll also find the Cheese and Paneer Dosas, Tandoori Paneer Tikka, Paneer Biryani, Vegetable Biryani, and chaat such as Samosa Chaat and Palak Chaat. Paneer is the fresh cheese we make in house.
Dining with allergies
Our menu marks every vegan and gluten-free dish, and our servers are happy to help with the rest. If you have celiac disease or a food allergy, please tell your server before you order, or call us at (202) 318-6600 before you place an online order, and we'll do our best to accommodate you. Nuts and dairy appear in a number of our dishes (our kormas, for example, are made with cashews), so always let us know about any allergy.
Plan your visit
We're at 3512 Connecticut Ave NW in Cleveland Park, steps from the Red Line, and we're open from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekends. Reserve a table, order online for pickup or delivery, or plan a celebration with a menu built around your guests' dietary needs.
Frequently asked questions
Which curries are vegan at Dakshin?
Our vegan curries are Dal Tadka, Punjabi Chole, Baingan Bartha, Masala Okra, Aloo Gobi, Udupi Veg Curry, and Vegetable Chettinad, and every one of them is gluten-free, too.
Is naan gluten-free or vegan?
No. Our naan is made with white flour, so it isn't gluten-free, and it isn't marked vegan. For a vegan bread, choose our Roti. For a gluten-free alternative, try a dosa or a side of Biryani Rice.
Is biryani gluten-free?
Yes. Every biryani on our menu is gluten-free: chicken, Chicken 65, lamb, goat, shrimp, paneer, and vegetable. The Vegetable Biryani is vegetarian but isn't marked vegan.
Is tandoori food gluten-free?
Every dish in the Tandoor section of our menu is gluten-free, including Tandoori Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Tandoori Salmon, Tandoori Kalonji Prawns, and Tandoori Paneer Tikka. Our breads from the clay oven do contain wheat.
Is Dakshin good for vegetarians?
Yes. Vegetarians can choose from most of our dosas, idli, chaat, a full section of vegetarian curries, Vegetable Chettinad, Tandoori Paneer Tikka, and paneer and vegetable biryanis, and many of these dishes are vegan, too.