# Baking Soda in Indian Food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957 "2007-08-17T16:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/41 "2016-08-29T15:58:22Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Oh, no–that technique is well described and clearly different. > > The powdered sledgehammer of bicarbonate (just came up wth that metaphor) is, like the addition of MSG/aji-no-moto/Accent, more in line with a cook’s inside technique (the French chef’s _truc_) than an established cooking procedure, and is mentioned only sporadically in recipes. I’m only talking about the side discussion spurred by **TriPolar** ’s post, not the dubious and probably apocryphal “technique” mentioned in the OP. I highly doubt it’s being done nor could it work without being detected (even if it could work at all) but, if so, hey, new fad diet plan, right!? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/42 "2016-08-29T16:12:23Z")
Do not eat more than 4 gramsfor every kilogram you weigh. If you do, flip a coin: heads you’re dead. Just so you know. [https://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/144-55-8](https://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/144-55-8) Also, since I mentioned it upthread,the French French chef would use _sel de Vichy_ for that particular _truc_. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/43 "2016-08-29T16:19:21Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Do not eat more than 4 gramsfor every kilogram you weigh. If you do, flip a coin: heads you’re dead. > > Just so you know. > > [https://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/144-55-8](https://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/144-55-8) > > Also, since I mentioned it upthread,the French French chef would use _sel de Vichy_ for that particular _truc_. You saved my life. I was just about to eat a pound of baking soda. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/44 "2016-08-30T18:39:51Z")
Throw in one too many pieces of naan bread on top of your Indian main dish and your stomach can feel mighty full. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/45 "2016-08-30T19:22:10Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Throw in one too many pieces of naan bread on top of your Indian main dish and your stomach can feel mighty full. For me, it’s more like the restaurant style dishes are just _swimming_ in ghee or oil and, if you’re getting a “butter,” “makhani,” “malai,” etc., dish, then you’ve also got cream on top of that. Buffet or no buffet, I’ve learned that a little restaurant-style Indian food goes a long way because of that and take smaller portions than is normal for me in other cuisines. And I can’t really do naan anymore, it’s just too much for me. Give me rotis/chapatis if I want a flatbread instead of or in addition to rice. But this is only for restaurant-style food. The various homecooked Indian meals I’ve had are a lot less heavy on the fat. That said, those pulses (beans, lentils, “dal,” etc.) fills me up right quick, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/46 "2016-08-30T19:57:11Z")
If they actually put something in the food that causes it to fill up your stomach with gas, I think it’ll mostly make you burp. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957/47 "2016-08-31T02:15:21Z")
Onions. Lots of sauteed onions in Indian food. In case you haven’t figured it out yet onions are a very gassy food. Yes Eno and baking powder are used in Indian cooking but those do not make you feel bloated. I use Eno to relieve bloating. Baking soda making you feel bloated is complete nonsense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baking-soda-in-indian-food/415957.md?page=2)