If you immediately turn to butter chicken, naan bread and paneer when you think Indian food- you’re thinking of the northern end of the country’s emblematic dishes. These are the globally accepted standards (made infinitely popular in North America and the UK for example) and while delicious, these are not the only culinary offerings from the vast and diverse country we know as India.
Fortunately, Preena and Arvinda Chauhan know their home country’s culinary nuances like the back of their hands, which is why a Little India Walking Tour is de rigeur for lover’s of that country’s food. The focus of our tour is on the foods of the south where rice reigns supreme and so do vegetarian options that knock the masala out of any notion of “dull” vegetarian food.
Gerrard Street Features Plenty of South Indian Vegetarian
We begin at Little India’s Udupi Palace, where we’re treated to a “lunch and learn” session about the finer points of Masala Dosa- those delectable, savoury, rice-based crepes stuffed with hot vegetable fillings and served with a lentil-soup and chutneys for dipping.
Our group of about fourteen heads into the kitchen where we watch the skilled Udupi Palace cooks swirl one perfect cup of a rice and lentil flour batter on to a hot griddle with grace. Voila- a gorgeous crepe is formed into a cone, stuffed with spiced potatoes and devoured by the appreciative crowd. We watch the chefs make a different type of dosa- this one with a cream of wheat mixture that yields a perfectly golden, lacey rectangular crepe that is melt-in-the-mouth delicious and beautifully delicate in appearance.
Everyone heads back to the dining room where we thoroughly enjoy southern Indian delights including idlis- steamed rice cakes ideal for soaking up the sambar (lentil soup), onion and vegetable fritters called pakoras, and sweet mango lassis (like a mango yoghurt smoothie) to wash everything down. When our paper dosas arrive with a side of coconut chutney, a lentil sambar, and a tomato chutney, a happy hush descends upon the table.
Shop for Saris in Toronto's Little India
A post-lunch walk is in order and we start at a traditional sari shop featuring the latest in the world of Indian fashion- and no, not all saris are created equally, just ask Preena. “You see that style there,” she says pointing to a lovely short sleeved tunic and pants outfit with an intricately folded shawl front, “that’s from the Gujarati region and I don’t prefer to wear my sari that way.” And to think- despite Toronto’s Little India being the biggest in North America, we’re still 6 months behind the latest fashions! What’s a girl to do but fly to Mumbai for the real deal?
Chickoos and other Exotic Fruits
Instead of Mumbai, we head off to a fruit market where we learn about chickoos (or sapotas as they’re also known)- rich in fibre we make a note to sample the juicy sweet fruit next time. A pit stop at Moti-Mahal (the Indian McDonald’s as it’s jokingly called) brings to mind a passage in Madhur Jaffrey’s memoir, Climbing the Mango Trees, where she makes mention of Moti-Mahal gaining incredible popularity in her home town of Delhi. Yes, it’s the same chain! We walk in and Arvinda orders up a storm of sweet treats for sharing later. But before that, we all learn a bit about paan (the digestif of choice in India) and pick up a few kitchen tools at the nearby gadget shop (everyone needs a good basmati rice server!). We even purchase some Indian spices at the nearby shop and learn to differentiate our urad dal (black lentil flour) from our besan (chick pea flour).
Good Bye Chai
Despite the rain, it’s a perfect summer’s day made all the more wonderful by a warming cup of chai and a flury of burfis (Indian fudge), jalebi (a deep fried tangle of a cookie soaked in syrup) and the rich gulab jamun (a creamy fritter that’s sugar syrup logged). When we bid adieu to our hosts, it has stopped raining outside, the air fragrant with spices. Just then, a woman with a lovely multi-colour tunic rides by on her bike. If one imagines hard enough, one might think she’s in Bombay. Just maybe.
Mary Luz Mejia - Colombian-born and Canadian raised. After earning an honours History degree from Queen's University and a Journalism post-grad diploma ...
