I would like to know if Indian food that is served in restaurants and takeaways in India contain MSG? Do people in India use msg in cooking at home? If MSG is used, how much do they use as compared to the Chinese. I get a really bad stomach if I eat anything with MSG so I would like to know what I am getting into before I buy my ticket to India.
Traditionally we have never used MSG but recently a lot of restaurants have started putting MSG in Indian food as well because it enhances flavor of dishes. You will find that even at some very high end restaurants they would use msg but if you ask service staff they would tell you if a dish contains msg or not. Chinese dishes would contain lots of msg especially the momos that you will find at every street corner. Indian people do not use MSG when they cook at home, most people wont even know what msg is.
I don't know anyone in India who uses MSG what is more widely known as ajinomoto in their kitchens at home. Some restaurants do use MSG in Indian dishes but not the high end restaurants but it is always better to get your waiter to check from the chef if they've used MSG for the dishes you are going to order. Telling the waiter that you are allergic to MSG will get you better information and attention
MSG is not an ingredient of Indian food as far as I know. But I am surprised it causes you a problem. The fears of MSG are misplaced, since it does not have an effect. There was a campaign against it in the US, which forced it out of favor, but was manufactured and baseless. MSG is derived from algae, and an allergic reaction to it should be quite rare. But if you do have problems, Indian food should not upset your stomach, unless you don't get along with spicy cuisine.
In the little time I spent in India on my last trip I found out the hard way that most gravy dishes have tons of MSG in them. If you see that unusual shine and a wonderful after taste as you swallow your food be assure that it is loaded with lots of MSG. It helps to ask the manager if they have any dishes that do not have any MSG. I ended up eating at a very costly restaurant for most of the time I stayed at Goa to keep my stomach from getting upset again.
I honestly have never seen it. Maybe it's because of the culture and food preparation, but it's mostly "natural" herbs and spices, and never msg or any other commercial food enhancers that can be found in other countries. I personally like it better, as it gives the food a more "home made" feel, as it is made with generally homey ingredients and homegrown food, which I absolutely love. It also blends well with their culture, as it is a very family oriented theme.
Mono Sodium Glutamate(MSG), a flavor enhancer is never an Indian thing and is strictly banned in India. Recently, Maggi a popular noodles brand has been banned for harmful proportions of MSG. If you suspect that your recipe contains MSG, you can straightaway complain to law enforcing authorities. In most Indian restaurants, you find natural herbs and spices to bring up the flavor. However, nothing is assured. Be vigilant all the time.
You will find MSG in all Chinese dishes in India, some may deny using it, but it is used in practically every dish they make, so you would best to avoid any Chinese dishes. When having Indian food I would avoid eating at any local restaurants and only go to high-end places, who don't use MSG in Indian dishes.
Actually, you can not guarantee that the high end places dont use MSG (apart from 5-star hotels). Restaurants would use it to make their food taste better as it enhances the flavor. I would say that it is used in all Chinese dishes amongst a majority of Indian gravy dishes.
