Alisa Fleming ~ Indian cuisine has never ranked high on my list of food loves. Partly because Indian restaurants are landmines for dairy, but I also have a flavor issue. Thai curries I adore, however Indian curry – meh. Fortunately, Stonehouse 27 sent me their four dairy-free exotic Indian cooking sauces, which venture far beyond that mustardy-brown sauce:

Cilantro & Coconut with a hint of lemon and ginger
Dates & Tamarind with roasted chilies and garlic
Tamarind & Garlic with creamy coconut and cumin
Tomato & Chilies with cinnamon and agave nectar

All of the above are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, free of refined sugars, and downright wholesome. I love it when you can use half a jar of sauce in one serving and not feel guilty, don’t you?

Each thick and chunky Stonehouse 27 sauce is PACKED with flavor. My personal favorite was the Tamarind & Garlic; the ingredients jive perfectly with my personal tastes, and this sauce ups the ante on ordinary light vegetable or chicken-based meals.

The Tomatoes & Chilies sauce was awarded second place in my house, due to its rich and fragrant flavors. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the Cilantro & Coconut. I say surprisingly, because I don’t really like cilantro, and this sauce had boatloads of it. Granted, if I were to recreate this sauce, I would cut way back on the cilantro, but the creamy coconut texture and hints of ginger won me over.

The Dates & Tamarind was also delicious, but the very hot roasted chilies in this recipe were a bit strong for my timid taste buds. I stirred in coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and salt to taste for a slightly milder and creamier sauce. You can see the recipe that I created with the Dates & Tamarind sauce here (it is also pictured below).

Stonehouse 27 Indian Cooking Sauces are slightly exotic in price, but still far cheaper (and probably better!) than an Indian dinner out. Plus, the jars are so attractive … definitely a gift-worthy item for any foodie basket. Hint, hint.

Please note that not all Stonehouse 27 products are dairy-free and vegan (their two cashew & cream varieties do contain milk-based ingredients) so there may be some cross-contamination with dairy in manufacturing. Check with the company on their procedures should this be a concern for you.

For more information on Stonehouse 27 Indian Cooking Sauces and for a store locator, visit their website at www.stonehouse27.com.

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.