Paratha Roti w. Goat and Potatoes at Ali's West Indian Roti Shop

We on The Left Chapter have visited Parkdale's excellent Ali's West Indian Roti Shop before both at its year round location as well as its booth at the Canadian National Exhibition.


Today we are returning to take a look at my new favourite thing on their menu (new as my favourite...not to their menu!) which is to order one of their Paratha roti dishes and ask for the roti on the side as opposed to wrapped.

When you do this you get whatever meat or shrimp option in its gravy accompanied by a large amount of the exceptionally soft and delicious roti which you can then use to dip into and enjoy the main.

While I love Ali's rotis and their rice and pea mains, I just can't get enough of this option at the moment. Especially when accompanied by their fiery and fantastic house hot sauce that they will give to you in little containers on the side to stir in and kick it all up a notch to paraphrase what Emeril used to say.

Here I had the goat option. The goat, as always, was very tender, comes with potato and the portion sizes are very generous. This all cost $12.95.

The other options are the shrimp, chicken, beef or the duck, which is really worth giving a try. There are also vegetarian options.

While there you can see what jars of their hot sauces they have for sale. Last time I went they had a citrus flavoured one I had never tried before with pieces of lemon, lime and peppers in it. It was a good one. These hot sauces never disappoint and can be had for $7-$10 a jar.

Ali's West Indian Roti is located at 1446 Queen Street W. (416) 532-7701. It on the 501 streetcar line. It is open 11 am - 10 pm seven days a week. You can visit their website for more information.  

See also: Ali's West Indian Roti Shop w. Fiery House Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

See also: Maurya East Indian Roti in Mimico -- Some of the best Toronto has to offer!

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Ali's West Indian Roti Shop w. Fiery House Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

Goat Dinner w. Rice and Peas $11.95

Ali’s West Indian Roti Shop is a terrific spot to go for some classic Caribbean fare in the heart of Parkdale. We have visited Ali's before but not at their "year round" location but in our look at places worth visiting to get food at the annual Canadian National Exhibition where they have a booth in the food pavilion. 


As at the Ex their Goat Dinner with Rice and Peas (pictured above) and their Doubles (an inexpensive and delicious street food style snack of curried chick peas in a West Indian flat bread "wrap") are stand-outs. Both their curried and jerk chicken will satisfy fans of either.

Part of the Ali's menu

At the regular location, of course, their full menu is available and it is full of delights. Ali's makes excellent, hefty rotis with a wide array of possible ingredients. The Paratha Goat Roti is terrific and stuffed full of their perfectly cooked, moist curried goat accompanied by curried potatoes. I am also rather fond of the shrimp roti made with big, juicy shrimp in a bright and flavourful gravy.

Rotis range from $7.95 to $11.95

Vegetarians can essentially assemble their own roti by adding ingredients for $1.50 each to a base one. Combinations can include items like pumpkin, chana, spinach and potato.

One of the best parts of a visit to Ali's is their homemade hot sauces. The scotch bonnet hot sauce has that wonderful depth of flavour that West Indian sauces do and it is truly, truly fiery. You can ask for it on your dish, which I always do, or on the side. Extra portions of it can be had for 25 cents. You can also buy jars of the sauce to enjoy at home and you really should! Definitely more kick and complexity than any of the commercial sauces generally available at standard grocery stores. The bottles are $7 for a small one and $10 for large.

Take home a jar of the firery house hot sauce!

Ali's has a reasonably sized dining room and service is at the counter and normally quite quick. It is not licensed.

Ali's West Indian Roti is located at 1446 Queen Street W. (416) 532-7701. It on the 501 streetcar line. It is open 11 am - 10 pm seven days a week. You can visit their website for more information. 

See also: Maurya East Indian Roti in Mimico -- Some of the best Toronto has to offer!

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Indian Style Ground Lamb Flatbread Wraps

Today we are going to take a look at an "all purpose" Indian style ground lamb dish that is terrific served on top of rice or, even better, with some other toppings folded into a flatbread like naan or roti to make a simple wrap. It is fast becoming one of my family's favourites.



This recipe is based on Nordic Moon Ranch's Most Excellent Ground Lamb with a few of the ingredients modified. I like mine to be spicier and with more garlic among other things and I also prepare it slightly differently.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground lamb
1 large onion diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Tandoori Masala spice mix (if you cannot find this you can substitute any other curry powder or Indian spice blend of your liking, though I like this one's flavour and kick)
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons tomato paste or 2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

My kids like it served like a Sloppy Joe on a bun

To begin heat some olive oil to medium-high in a large saucepan. Add the diced onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the ground lamb and begin to brown it. As you brown the lamb add the spices/seasonings while blending all together. When the lamb is browned add the tomato paste/ketchup and then add the red wine and beef broth.

Reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 20 minutes until most of the liquid is gone or has thickened.

This dish is great on its own over rice but the way we like to eat it is served on a flatbread like naan or roti with a variety of different toppings.

Served with feta, Indian pickle and mint on top of naan

My favourite is to serve it topped with some crumbled feta cheese, Tzatziki sauce, a teaspoon or two of Indian style pickle (mango or lime) and bit of fresh mint. You then fold the flatbread and eat it almost like a taco or a wrap. This is truly delicious!

Enjoy.

See also: Lamb Keema with Onions

See also: Lamb & Chicken BBQ Burgers

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine: West Indian-Chinese Fusion in Mississauga

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine is a really terrific West Indian-Chinese fusion style restaurant on Hurontario St. in Mississauga.

Charlie's does so many things so well. There are a number of standouts on the menu. In fact I have yet to eat anything from Charlie's that was not top-notch.

Notable dishes include the Fried Red Snapper which is a fish served whole that has been seasoned to give it a nice Caribbean flavour and that is then deep-fried giving it a terrific texture ($10.99 on its own or $12.99 with rice). Charlie's is known for its rotis but vegetarians will love the incredible Mixed Vegtable Roti that includes curried chickpeas, pumpkin, curried potatoes, long beans, spinach and okra! ($9.99) The Pepper Shrimp ($10.99) and Chili Chicken ($9.99) are perennial favourites as are the fusion Chow Mein dishes.

Special Jerk Chicken Low Mein - $10.49

This is a must get dish at Charlie's. Perfect, moist jerk chicken is served atop absolutely delicious noodles with vegetables and chicken. Just fantastic. 

Fried Shrimp Wontons - $7.99

A crowd pleasing appetizer nicely prepared. 

Curried Goat (Bone-In) - $8.99

A classic executed very well and served with rice or rice and peas. You can order it large (+$2.00) and/or with extra meat (+$3.00)  as I did above. A boneless version is available for a dollar more.

Charlie's Special Mixed Fried Rice - $10.49

Another great fusion dish, it is fried rice with chicken, beef and shrimp that is topped with pieces of Caribbean style fried chicken.

Oxtail - $10.99

As any regular reader of this blog knows, I love oxtail! Charlie's makes a terrific one, exceptionally moist, served with rice or rice and peas. Large size and/or extra meat are, again, an option.

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Fried Plantain - $2.00

Do you want some fried plantain added to your dish for $2.00? Yes...yes I do!

Chicken Wings (10 pcs) $8.99

They make terrific wings with an assortment of saucing options. The Spicy Sauce packs real punch and is full of flavour.

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine is located at 3055 Hurontario Street just north of Dundas St. 905-949-0663. They have a website with their full menu and a Facebook page. They are open 7 days a week and they are licensed. If you live within the delivery area, delivery is available from skipthedishes.com

See also: Butter Chicken Roti -- Fiery Spicy & Delicious Indian Rotis on Queen W.

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Butter Chicken Roti -- Fiery Spicy & Delicious Indian Rotis on Queen W.

Lamb Vindaloo Roti...$11.95

Butter Chicken Roti on Queen St. W. in Toronto delivers absolutely delicious, and some of Toronto's most fiery, Indian-style rotis.

As any regular reader of this blog knows I am a very big fan of Indian food, rotis and spicy food generally. The three combined is pretty much my idea of heaven.

But if you love and regularly eat spicy food you quickly become aware that the version of spicy that most places offer up is often not all that spicy! I cannot tell you how many times I have ordered up "suicide" wings at a bar and been very disappointed in the lackluster heat or flavour. When going to restaurants that do serve spicy fare I like to make sure there is some extra hot sauce on the side or I ask the waiter to get the kitchen to crank it up a notch.

When I go to West Indian or Indian take out joints I actually do carry my own bottle of hot sauce in my pocket or bag along with me to make sure I can amp it up to my liking when I get to where I am going to eat.

But at Butter Chicken Roti there is, I can assure you, absolutely no need. The rotis are truly as you order them. If you order 'Hot' the spice is very intense and would be a challenge for most diners. The 'Medium' is as hot or hotter than the roti you would get if you ordered it 'spicy' at most other places.


When it comes to heat Butter Chicken Roti is the real deal. In fact, if you order a Medium/Hot or Hot they ask you up front if you have eaten there before and warn you if you have not!

I have tried both heat levels and either will certainly wake you up. There is also an "Extra Hot" option, but frankly I have a hard time understanding who would order it!

Most palates will find that the Mild/Medium or Medium are a good heat level.

Importantly though, the heat is not just for the sake of heat. The food at Butter Chicken Roti is excellent and very flavourful. The levels of spice deliver different flavour profiles that enhance the food, they do not simply raise the heat.

Butter Chicken Roti offers a wide variety of chicken, lamb, shrimp and vegetarian/vegan roti options. If you are not in the mood for a roti you can have the same dishes served on a bed of rice (this can also help offset the heat!).

Chicken Curry Roti...$10.95

The roti bread itself is terrific and very well made. While Butter Chicken is their signature dish -- and it is very good -- everything I have had on the menu is worth trying. The basic curry option is rich and tasty and comes with potato. The Jalfrezi adds cauliflower and green peas. The Vindaloo is notably different from many other vindaloo sauces as it has the tang you expect but also a taste of citrus that is complex and refreshing.

You really can't go wrong and the food is very affordable with the rotis ranging from $7.95 to $14.95. Portion sizes are generous. A roti here is a full meal.

But take my word on the heat levels! I would recommend that even serious spicy food eaters try the Medium/Hot before ordering a dish Hot. I know many of you will ignore this warning (I went straight for the Hot on my first visit) so get ready for it. Because Butter Chicken Roti delivers real kick!

Butter Chicken Roti is located at 1076 Queen St. W a couple of blocks west of Ossington. It is open 7 days a week until 10 p.m. There is a reasonable amount of casual seating available. It is not licensed. (647) 350 7684.

Visit their website with their full menu: butterchickenroti.com 

See also: Maurya East Indian Roti in Mimico -- Some of the best Toronto has to offer!

See also: Vena's Roti on Bloor St. -- "Best Roti in Town"

Maurya East Indian Roti in Mimico -- Some of the best Toronto has to offer!

Maurya East Indian Roti is, quite simply, superb.

Located in an unassuming strip mall in the heart of Mimico, Maurya serves up some of the very best rotis Toronto has to offer -- West or East Indian!


Wrapped in a perfectly made roti, the menu provides a terrific array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. All are excellent, with rich sauces and complex flavours.

The heat level in the spicing is as you request it. Mild will be exactly that, whilst a request for hot or spicy will be fiery but not overpoweringly so.

Stand-outs include the Chicken or Lamb Vindaloo Roti (marvelously tangy and hot), the basic Lamb or Chicken Curry Roti (that comes with potato and is a great deal at $8.95) and the Mixed Vegetable Korma Roti -- though everything we have tried there has been great.

Note that on the menu below the vegetarian options outnumber the meat options!

If you want something a little less rich and a little lighter, the Eggplant and Potato Roti is a very filling and tasty option and is also a steal at $7.95.

The Samosas are top-notch and make for a perfect side or take-out snack.


Maurya has several tables and you will generally be able to get a seat, but it is also located right next to the charming waterfront Amos Waites Park -- a lovely spot to eat outside on a nice day. Mimico, one of Toronto's historic waterfront communities with a number of lakeside parks as well as a newly expanded path connecting them, is well worth a visit anyway, and the 501 Queen streetcar will take you right to Maurya's front door at the foot of Mimico Ave.

The Lamb Curry Roti $8.95

The Aloo Gobi Roti (Cauliflower & Potato) $7.95

Maurya East Indian Roti is located at 2481 Lakeshore Blvd. W. at Mimico Ave. and Lakeshore. 647-748-6001. It is a casual/take-out style restaurant with no reservations though you can call ahead to pick-up your order. It is not licensed. 

See also: Vena's Roti on Bloor St. -- "Best Roti in Town"

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Ducky's Roti -- Excellent Caribbean Food in Long Branch

We all have them -- favourite neighbourhood take-out spots that are not quite restaurants (in fact, sometimes they have no seating at all) but are places we go for quick, inexpensive, and occasionally truly delicious fare. The best among these are almost hidden treasures that those "in the know" tell their friends about and that we go back to regularly...in some cases for one specific dish/sandwich/dessert at which they excel.

Today we will look at a Long Branch, Toronto roti shop, Ducky's Roti, whose strip mall storefront location and total lack of decor might cause people to pass right by -- which would be a shame, as they are missing out on a real treat.

Ducky's has a fairly large menu, actually, that includes not only rotis, but also many rice dishes and sides as well. It has Caribbean standards like Oxtail, Ackee & Saltfish, and so on, as well as specials available only certain days, such as their excellent Curried Duck, and their Saturday morning Caribbean breakfast menu. While there is not a lot of seating, there is usually a table available. 

But as the name implies, their forte are their rotis, which run between $5-10, depending on ingredients and whether you are getting large or small. The roti bread itself is always perfect, as are the potatoes which are included in every roti option.

Stand-outs on the roti menu are the Boneless Goat Roti, the Vegetarian Delight and the Boneless Jerk Chicken Roti which is fiery and never dry. You can get their in-house hot sauce either in the roti itself or on the side. It is very hot, so be forewarned!

Veggie Roti at Ducky's

As with most take out places, a lunch or dinner, with a drink (non-alcoholic, they are not licensed), will not cost you more than $10-15. If looking for a really quick snack, try their wonderful "doubles", a terrific Caribbean street food that consists of curried chick peas (Chana) wrapped in a fried flat bread. These, as well, can be had with or without hot sauce and are a steal at $2.50.

Ducky's Roti is located at 3296 Lake Shore Blvd. W, about 5 blocks west of Kipling.

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

See also: Vena's Roti on Bloor St. -- "Best Roti in Town"

Vena's Roti on Bloor St. -- "Best Roti in Town"

The otherwise unassuming take out joint, Vena's Roti has a window sized neon sign that greets you when you arrive proclaiming that it serves the "Best Roti in Town"!

Is it true? While that is certainly a big claim to make in a city the size of Toronto, unlike "The World's Best Coffee" claim in the movie Elf, in the case of Vena's it is not just hyperbole. If they do not serve "the best", a very subjective opinion anyway, they serve among the best West Indian style rotis and for a very good price.

Vena's is a classic "hole-in-the-wall" lunch counter style eatery. With only a couple of tables at which to dine in, when going be sure to have a take-out back up plan. 

But the food is excellent and, not surprisingly given the sign, the rotis are a genuine stand-out. 

What makes them special begins with the roti itself which is among the best I have ever had. 

Then, of course, is the West Indian style saucing and perfectly cooked ingredients. Very moist goat or chicken, beef and shrimp options, and a delicious veggie roti with spinach, chick peas, potato and squash. They are all fantastic. The meat rotis can be had with just potato or with some other ingredients like okra for an extra charge. 

If you are a fan of spice, the homemade scotch bonnet sauce is a

Veggie Roti

must. While deceptively watery in texture it packs a real punch in terms of both heat and flavour. 

All the dishes range from $9-12 with some daily specials as an option. Vena's only takes cash though, so keep that in mind.

Vena's is located at  1263 Bloor Street West, Toronto (just east of the Lansdowne subway station), and is open seven days a week from 10am to 7pm. 416-532-3665

Vena's has done important charitable work in the community

The goat and potato roti

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

See also: Swatow Restaurant -- Shrimp Dumpling Noodle Soup & more in the heart of Toronto

Roti or Naan Bread Pizzas: Fast & Fun!

My son preparing his "Pizza Roberto" for the oven! 

Frozen pizza, with very few exceptions, is fairly terrible. We buy it, when we do, usually because it is fast and easy. When it is on sale it can be affordable, but it is often not. Moreover, it is often made with inferior toppings and sauces that, especially after freezing, just don't taste that good.




While it is not entirely true, many feel that making a pizza from scratch is simply too daunting, especially after a day of work.

But today we are going to do a fast and very fun alternative that uses any fresh toppings of your choosing and that can involve the whole family. This is Roti or Naan bread personal sized pizzas.

Roti or Naan is Indian style flat bread. This is readily available, with the wonderful rise of multiculturalism, in many standard grocery stores or can be sought out in specialty ones.

While store bought roti or naan does not hold up to homemade, of course, it makes an excellent thin style pizza crust.

I like to use Pesto Sauce as a pizza sauce, and if you do you do not need to oil the bread. But if you are using a traditional pizza sauce, passata  or tomato sauce, you should brush on about a half teaspoon of olive oil over the side of the bread you are going to top. If  using the thicker naan, brush the edge of the bread as well.

Then top with your sauce, toppings and cheese or cheeses of choice. I like to spread a nice layer of pesto, top it with spicy soppressata (a type of Italian salami), anchovies,  some unpitted black olives and feta cheese.

Pictured here is a roti pizza with pesto, pepperoni, green olives, mushrooms and topped with mozzarella. But the options are endless. Top with whatever you like. It is really great to use seasonal vegetables, sliced thinly and brushed with oil as toppings. Zucchini for example!

One brand of roti or naan bread

The best part is that it is a great way to involve kids or friends in the making of the dinner. As long as you have a variety of toppings to chose from, everyone can make something they like.



Once you have assembled your pizza, place it directly on the oven rack and place the rack in the middle. If you can cook convection preheat to 375 degrees and cook until the roti or naan is golden brown (or, if you like, a slightly darker brown for a well done, crispy crust) and the cheese nicely melted.For the roti this will take about  3-5 minutes. The slightly thicker naan will take 5-7 minutes.

If you do not have a convection option on your oven, preheat conventional to 400 degrees. Either option, monitor the pizzas closely. Individual appliances really do vary. There is a world of difference between golden brown and black and burnt! After the first couple of pizzas, you will know your oven. As always, practice will make perfect.



So next time you want some fast, fun and actually delicious pizza, with the toppings you want, try this! And watch for a future blog on BBQed pizza!