One of the best places in Broward County to eat vegetarian Indian food is in a house of worship that welcomes all comers to a weekly feast. The Sikh Society of Florida has operated the gurdwara, or temple, in Davie with an open kitchen since 1989.

You'll sit cross-legged on a long strip of red carpet. Volunteers ladle the food from pails onto stainless steel trays. It's simple fare, donated by a different family each week, so you can look forward to trying new dishes.

A meal always includes whole-wheat chapatti breads, rice, some type of dal (stewed lentils), vegetable, raita (yogurt salad), pickle, chutney and a sweet, with tumblers of water to quench your thrist.

These communal meals are called Langar, from a Persian word meaning ''house of charity,'' where food is free to all.

The Sikh faith was founded 500 years ago in the Punjab region of northwestern India by Guru Nanak Singh. India was torn apart by caste frictions and religious factions, and Guru Nanak's goal was to spread the simple message that we are all one with the eternal creator.

He derived the new faith from Hinduism, incorporating elements of Islam and other beliefs. Disciples are called Sikhs, or seekers of truth.

Guru Nanak started the Langar, also called ''the temple of bread.'' Vegetarian fare is served to ensure that all visitors, whatever the dietary restrictions of their faith, can eat. Many Hindus and Sindhis come here, as they worship the founding guru in their faiths.

In the Punjab, men cook meat but most women keep vegetarian. No eggs are used in Langar cooking but dairy products are allowed. The staples of hearty Punjabi cuisine are wheat, butter, yogurt, buttermilk, corn, leafy greens, lentils and nuts cooked with uncomplicated spice mixtures.

At a recent Sunday Langar, I was warmly greeted by Manmeet Gulati, the president of the Sikh Society. She was happy to see that I had my shoes off and head covered with a scarf as signs of respect. (Extra head coverings are available if you forget.)

Gulati led me to the sanctuary. At the end of the 30-minute worship service (in Punjabi but projected in English on a screen), we all cupped our hands to receive pieces of sweet, buttery, cream-of-wheat halwa, considered a blessed food.

Then we moved onto the dining hall with about 300 others for the shared meal. It started with bread followed by rice with toor dal (split pigeon peas spiced with mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves), spinach cooked with onions and spices, raita, onion pickle and hot chile chutney.

Afterward, my host was in the kitchen washing dishes alongside her fellow Sikh Society members. They all volunteer their time and multitask as need be. Bread and faith are shared here, where everyone is an equal.

Linda Bladholm's latest book is Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified.

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