This restaurant closed on 30 June 2020. Thanks for the memories!
Pioneers of East Indian roti and still the best
Gandhi is one of the first restaurants to serve East Indian roti in Toronto (and also the world). The East Indian roti might even have been invented here in the 1990s.
From India to the Caribbean to India to Toronto
A bit of terminology. East India refers to India, the country, as opposed to the West Indies in the Caribbean. Roti is a generic Indian term for bread but here it refers to the version in Trinidad, Guyana, and the windward islands. The life of a roti starts with a bread dough made up of maida (wheat flour). Then, ground dhal (split peas) are filled in the dough and the dough is rolled out to a thin disc. The result is a flatbread with a layer of dhal crumbs sandwiched in the middle. The semi-hard dhal doesn’t add much flavour but it provides textural contrast to the soft bread. This flatbread is known as dhalpuri roti and is a Trinidadian creation.
When people talk about West Indian roti, they usually mean a meal involving the flatbread and not the flatbread itself. Take a dhalpuri roti, put your choice of curry, meat, potatoes, and vegetables in the middle, and then fold it up into a rectangular parcel. Lightly toast it on a tawa (hotplate) and you get a West Indian roti. The fillings are usually Caribbean entrées like chicken curry and goat curry.
Gandhi takes the concept of a West Indian roti and uses traditional Indian fillings. The most popular filling here is butter chicken but you can also find other North Indian curries like jalfrezi, vindaloo, and korma. Another departure from the West Indian roti is that they use a chapati instead of a dhalpuri roti. It’s mostly the same thing except the chapati doesn’t have dhal and is much thinner.
The food
The star attraction is of course the roti. They have nibbles like samosas and gulab jamun but I suggest you stick to the rotis.
Gandhi has the best East Indian roti because every component is excellent. The roti is blistered to the right degree. Those brown spots that uniformly cover the surface aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, they also impart additional aroma and taste to the bread. The roti is paper thin and breaks apart easily with a fork but is firm enough to hold the filling.
There is a decent choice for meat, vegetarian, and vegan eaters. The fillings consist of a protein/vegetable, potatoes, and your choice of curry. Good ratio of meat to potatoes (but getting less generous over the years). Meats are juicy and not overcooked. While the curries may not be the best in the city, they are still better than average. Spices are fresh and the flavours are complex.
Speaking about spices, Gandhi seems to have toned down their spice levels. Up to 2017, medium spice level was very spicy even for most North Indians, but now it’s just mild to medium. YMMV. If this is your first time here, don’t go beyond medium spice.
Portion sizes have gone down too. In the past, the roti was fully packed with ingredients until it reached the top of the container. It could feed two people. Nowadays, the roti just fills half of the container.
In spite of this, if you are interested in Toronto’s food heritage, Gandhi is a must-try.
Pro tip: for budget eaters, get their day-old rotis at almost 40% off. Not available through online ordering.
The place
This restaurant is mainly a takeout place but there are a a couple of seats for dining in. Apparently, they are doing well enough to open only on weekdays. If closed, you can visit their offshoot Mother India but I don’t find it nearly as good or spicy as Gandhi.
Verdict
Roti shells are soft, strong, and aromatic. All the curries are flavourful. However, inconsistent spice levels and slightly high prices bring down the overall rating. 8/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Gandhi Cuisine
- Rating
- 8/10
- Recommended dishes
- Butter chicken roti
Malai kofta roti - Prices
- Butter chicken roti: $14.63 ($12.95 excluding tax)
- Address
- 554 Queen Street West
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 1000h – 2000h
- Date of visit
- October 2019