Vegan and gluten-free Indian food Melbourne — what to order at Masti Fitzroy
Most restaurants treat vegan and gluten-free diners as a problem to solve. A separate page at the back of the menu, one curry, a bowl of rice and an apology about the bread. Indian food should never work like that — and at Masti it does not.
A huge part of Indian cooking is plant-based. Lentils, chickpeas, vegetables, whole spices, rice — many of the dishes Indian families eat every day are vegan or gluten-free without anyone ever calling them that. If you are looking for the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne for vegan or gluten-free diners, or simply Indian food in Melbourne that does not leave anyone at the table out, this guide shows you exactly what to order at Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm 📞 (03) 9427 2121
Gluten-free vegan naan — baked fresh in the tandoor
The question every gluten-free and vegan diner asks at an Indian restaurant is the same: what about the naan? Traditional naan is made with wheat flour and often milk, yoghurt or butter, so it is off the table for both.
At Masti we bake a gluten-free vegan naan in the same live clay tandoor as everything else — plain, or with garlic, chive, sesame, onion seed or chilli. Same char, same blistered edges, same tear-and-dip. Very few Indian restaurants in Melbourne offer anything like it, and it is the reason many of our gluten-free and vegan regulars found us in the first place.
Vegan Indian food at Masti — what to order
Dishes marked VG on the Masti menu are vegan. Dishes marked VGO have a vegan option — just ask when you order.
Vegan starters and street food
Pani puri (VG) — crisp puris with three spiced waters: tamarind, mint and jaljeera.
Onion bhaji (VG, GF) — crispy onion fritters with curry leaf and green chilli.
Aloo tikki chaat, papdi chaat and samosa chaat (VGO) — the chaat menu, made vegan on request.
Samosa and veg momos (VGO) — spiced potato and peas, or Himalayan dumplings with cabbage, carrot and ginger-garlic.
Vegan curries
Dal tadka (VG, GF) — yellow lentils with cumin, garlic and green chilli.
Aloo gobhi (VG, GF) — potato and cauliflower with cumin and turmeric.
Bhindi do pyaza (VG, GF) — stir-fried okra and onion.
Vegan Indo-Chinese
Gobi Manchurian (VG) — crispy cauliflower in a garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
Chopsuey (VG) — crispy noodles with tangy Indo-Chinese vegetables.
Hakka noodles and Indo-Chinese fried rice (VGO) — wok-tossed, with a vegan option.
Vegan breads
Gluten-free vegan naan, and tandoori roti made vegan on request.
Vegan Curry Night — every Tuesday
Every Tuesday from 5pm, Masti runs Vegan Curry Night — a rotating selection of plant-based curries served with freshly baked vegan naan. The menu changes week to week, so regulars never eat the same night twice, and it is one of the easiest ways for a mixed table of vegans and meat-eaters to share one meal. See all the weekly specials →
Gluten-free Indian food at Masti
Gluten-free diners have even more choice. Most Indian curries are thickened with onions, tomatoes, nuts or lentils rather than flour, and the tandoor dishes are marinated, not crumbed. Dishes marked GF on the Masti menu include:
From the tandoor: chicken tikka, paneer tikka, lamb seekh kebab and Amritsari fish.
Vegetarian curries: dal makhani, dal tadka, palak paneer, kadai paneer, paneer butter masala, aloo gobhi and more.
Meat and seafood curries: Masti butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, Chettinad chicken, Kerala fish curry, Goan prawn balchao and goat curry.
Sides and sweets: basmati rice, onion bhaji, kulfi, gajar halwa and mango lassi — plus the gluten-free vegan naan.
Dishes made in the wok, like the Indo-Chinese menu, generally use soy sauce and flour coatings, so check with the team. If you have coeliac disease or a serious allergy, please tell us when you book and again when you order so the kitchen can look after you properly.
See the full menu with dietary labels →
Vegetarian Indian food — the biggest section of the menu
For vegetarians, Masti is close to a full menu. The entire chaat section is vegetarian, alongside paneer tikka, soya chaap from the tandoor, nine vegetarian curries — from our 24-hour dal makhani to anjeer kofta with fig and pomegranate — and a vegetarian set menu for groups of four or more. Why our dal makhani takes 24 hours →
Booking for a mixed table
The best thing about eating vegan or gluten-free at an Indian restaurant in Melbourne is that nobody has to compromise. Order to share: a chaat platter or pani puri to start, Gobi Manchurian and onion bhaji, two or three vegan curries alongside the butter chicken, and a basket of gluten-free vegan naan next to the regular naan. Everyone eats from the same table.
Planning an event? Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are built into every catering menu from Curry Queen Catering Co. Read our Indian catering guide →
📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 📞 (03) 9427 2121 ✉ hello@eatdrinkmasti.com
Frequently asked questions — vegan and gluten-free Indian food Melbourne
Is there a vegan Indian restaurant in Melbourne?
Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy has a large vegan menu marked clearly on the menu — pani puri, onion bhaji, dal tadka, aloo gobhi, bhindi do pyaza, Gobi Manchurian, chopsuey and gluten-free vegan naan, plus vegan options on the chaat, momos and noodles. Vegan Curry Night runs every Tuesday.
Where can I get gluten-free naan in Melbourne?
Masti bakes a gluten-free vegan naan fresh in its live clay tandoor — plain, garlic, chive, sesame, onion seed or chilli. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
Is Indian food gluten-free?
Much of it can be. Most curries are thickened with onion, tomato, nuts or lentils rather than flour, and tandoor dishes are marinated rather than crumbed. Breads, samosas and Indo-Chinese dishes usually contain gluten. At Masti, gluten-free dishes are marked GF on the menu.
Is dal vegan?
It depends on the dal. Masti's dal tadka is vegan and gluten-free. Dal makhani contains butter and cream, so it is vegetarian and gluten-free but not vegan.
Does Masti have a vegan curry night?
Yes — Vegan Curry Night runs every Tuesday from 5pm, with rotating plant-based curries and freshly baked vegan naan.
Can you cater for coeliac guests?
Please tell us about coeliac disease or any allergy when you book and when you order, and the team will guide you through the menu.