Finding a good place to go for lunch on Friday is an easy task, since being productive that afternoon isn’t really a requirement. So when I headed over with a gang of co-workers to The Host (14 Prince Arthur Ave.) for their $11.49 Indian lunch buffet, we had one goal in mind — distending our stomachs as much as possible.

The Host is an upscale Indian restaurant that’s pricier than most, so going to their Thursday or Friday lunch buffet is a cost-effective way to try their dishes. As soon as you’re shown to your seat, drop your jacket and head straight to the back room. You’ll pick up a plate and travel counter-clockwise, first passing the sauces, salads and appetizers. I just do a courtesy stop here, putting a couple tiny scoops on my plate of cucumber and spinach salad and a samosa or two.

Next are the hot dishes, and there’s a good selection to choose from: Chana Masala (warning, it’s spicier than you’d expect), Saag Paneer, Cauliflower, Beef Curry, Eggplant (my absolute favourite), Tandori Chicken and the ever popular Butter Chicken (shown below).

As you can see from my plate, my goal is to try a little bit of as many different things as I can. Buffet strategies are a funny thing and vary widely. For example, some people (the healthier ones) go up for only one plate. On the other extreme, my co-worker Seb had a technique I’d never seen before. His goal is to eat the first plate so quickly and move immediately onto the second one, essentially tricking his stomach into thinking he hadn’t eaten yet. Watching him scarf down two overflowing plates in 20 minutes flat was pretty impressive. Seeing him get up for a third plate was downright unbelievable. I managed to do one and a half.

One great tip is to make sure you ask for Naan and they’ll bring over basketful upon request. There’s also a small section with fresh fruit and a few desserts. The Host’s decor could be described as old-school classy, but at lunchtime things feel more casual. It’s perfect for a noontime outing to break-up the workday. After that, head back to the office and tell your boss you’ll be spending the rest of your Friday afternoon digesting.

The Host / 14 Prince Arthur Ave., Toronto
416 962 4678 / Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11:45-2:30pm, Sat & Sun 12pm-4:30pm (Lunch buffet on Thursday and Friday only) Dinner Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm.

We at Plato Putas adore our Mammas. We love how they stuck up for us when a sibling was threatening to beat us up, wiped our disgusting snotty boogers when the weather was cold and packed our lunches everyday. Realistically, the list is endless. But one of the main reason we love our Mammas is because they always love us back with a heartfelt home-cooked meal. Today is the beginning my friends, an homage to moms everywhere. The Double P’s will enter the homes of Mammas to stir up some of the good stuff, unlock family secrets and share the best recipes you won’t find in a cookbook.

Our first featured Mamma is Jasbir Riyait. Hailed from Punjab, India, Mamma Riyait is the proud mom of five adorable kids (the second youngest is particularly adorable). She’s been cooking authentic home cooked Indian food for the past 60 years. She’s cute, she’s short, she’s a Plato Puta mom!

Ok kids, get out your pen and paper, it’s note-taking time. Mamma Riyait teaches us step-by-step how to make the legendary Gobhi Paratha, which is a spicy cauliflower-stuffed chapati (aka roti).

Step 1: Make the stuffing Wash and dissect an entire head of cauliflower. Chop off the greens and save for a curry. Abide by Mammas rule “Never waste anything!” Finely grate the florets into a bowl (look at Mamma’s hands go) then add 1 chopped green chili (or more if you and your guests can handle the heat), a finely chopped small onion, 1/2 tsp of grated ginger, 1 tsp of masala and salt and pepper.

Step 2: Make the dough In a large bowl add cold water to whole wheat flour. With your fingertips rub the flour and water together. Continue kneading until a dough forms and set aside.

Step 3: Notice how cute Mamma looks Stand back and take an admiring shot of Mamma hard at work.

Step 4: Piece ‘em together Roll a ball of dough into a small circle about 5 inches in diameter. Make a second small chapati 5 inches in diameter and repeat. Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of one of the chapatis. Place the second chapati on top and press the edges to enclose the filling securely. Once combined, the entire thing is officially called a Gobi Paratha.

Step 5: Roll ‘em out Gently roll out the combined stuffed paratha until it almost becomes the size of a dinner plate. Place it on a hot tava (cast iron griddle) and turn frequently until both sides are brown and slightly blistered. Cook it for approximately 2-3 minutes.

Step 6: Dress ‘em up Once cooked, place the hot paratha on a tea towel and douce with plenty of butter. Don’t hold back.

Step 7: Gobble ‘em down Serve the Gobhi Parathas piping hot with plain yogurt seasoned with salt and pepper and a side of spicy mango pickles. Finally, enjoy the love and don’t forget to kiss the cook.

Think your Mamma has what it takes to be featured on Plato Putas? Send us a note, introduce your Ma and tell us why her infamous dish rocks your world.

We’ve celebrated the traditional Dosa before, and now it’s time to introduce a unique take on this Indian dish. Madras Pantry (877 Queen St. West) has updated the Dosa to make it enticing, palatable and hand-held for the Queen West crowd. Think of it as an Indian burrito or stuffed crêpe, with savoury contemporary fillings like Butter Chicken, Szechuan Beef, Tandori Shrimp, Spinach & Paneer or Jerk Chicken (all $7 including tax).

Ryan Fisher, one of the restaurant’s owners, took the time out to describe a traditional Dosa and reveal how it’s been remixed to become their own.

Madras Pantry just opened their doors at the beginning of August and already the Dosa’s popularity has exceeded expectations. Co-owner and chef Roger Mooking says they hoped to sell 70 Dosas per day. Last Friday they made over 160 and had to close early when they ran out of ingredients.

The space itself is completely eye popping. Designed by Commute Home, the interior installations feature wrestling chimeras, a magnificent sword-swallower and Siamese twin pigs. Enjoy your Dosa at the long communal table or borrow one of three picnic baskets (complete with placemats) and enjoy the scenary at Trinity Bellwoods Park across the street. Before you head home, pick up a few items from their pantry, such as chutneys, spices, rice, pickles and masala chai tea.

I decided to take Ryan’s advice and order the popular Butter Chicken Dosa. The batter contains rice flour and ground lentils, and each “crêpe” is made-to-order. The filling includes butter chicken, delicious curried potatoes with onions, lettuce, tomato and scallions, all topped with a generous dose of coriander mint sauce. It’s a surprising mix of east meets west, and the butter chicken is moist and flavourful with a bit of kick. Swig it down with a Mango, Strawberry Mint or Lime Lychee Lassi (yogurt drink), or a soda imported from India; Thums Up, Limca or mmmm, Orange Fanta.

Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to waver from the traditional, but Madras Pantry makes it easy to make the jump.

Lunch time in Midtown means two words: Biryani Cart. You’ll easily recognize this cart at 46th Street & Sixth Avenue by the swarms of unorganized people. This place likes to roll Desi style, which means good ol’ fashioned Indian ethics. Elbow your way through the crowd and yell out your order. Don’t get sidetracked watching the lost and confused faces of newbies, the Biryani Cart senses fear.

There’s a reason why this resto on wheels was the 2008 Finalist and People’s Choice Vendy Award winner. The Biryani is stellar, served with an hard-boiled egg and pickle for $5. But my favourite item on the menu are the Kati Rolls, $6 for two. A Kati Roll is India’s version of fast food which consists of a circular piece of fresh paratha (Indian flat bread) filled with delicious toppings and then rolled up, burrito style.

My Kati Roll of choice is the vegetarian Aloo Gobi. It’s stuffed with curried potatoes and cauliflower, fresh carrots, lettuce, cucumber, green peppers and smothered in a creamy spicy sauce.

What’s completely impressive about the Biryani Cart are the workers and their ability to memorize everyone’s lunch order. Sure they may mess up once in a while, but come on. Watching three dudes cook Indian food in a teeny cart in 35˚C weather is pretty spectacular.

* Just announced: the Biryiani Cart has been nominated as a 2009 Vendy Awards Finalist. The Vendys is an intense cook-off between the best sidewalk chefs in New York City. The winner will be announced on September 26th. Check out Meru Sikder, the Biryiani Cart owner, plead his case for this year’s Vendy Awards. Good luck, we’ll be rooting for you!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ0kgZ9_R_4&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fstreetvendor%2Eorg%2Fvendys%2Ffinalists&feature=player_embedded]

It’s been a roller coaster of emotions with the new Toronto street cart program called A La Cart. When they first announced the introduction of ethnically diverse street food, I was elated. Our city definitely needed options beyond street meat (aka hot dogs). But when a paltry eight carts rolled out, I was disappointed. It angered me to learn about all the red tape the vendors had to endure; Hot dog vendors aren’t being forced to pass taste-test panels, buy standardized carts, submit business plans or better yet, prove nutritional value! Finally, when the Toronto Star reported only five carts are actually operational (others were assigned locations in construction zones or told they had to move), I was outraged.

I did become excited once again when I gathered my friends Billy and Sonia for a street cart crawl to test out their offerings. The outing was stunted because there are only two carts left in the downtown area.

CART #1
LOCATION: Metro Hall, just south of King St., east of John St.
CUISINE: Afghan
LINE-UP: Consistently had 4-5 customers

My pal Billy went straight for the main course — the Chalpi Kebab & Pop for $5. While he thought this was an excellent deal for lunch, he likened it to “a reheated hamburger patty in a pita.” I tried a bite and had to agree his statement was accurate.

The highlight of the crawl were the Samosas with Tamarind Dipping Sauce ($2). There’s chicken, beef or veggie and we tried all three. The veggie was a big hit, along with the chicken. “Crunchy on the outside, soft and tasty on the inside,” Sonia described. “For just $2 you can satisfy your hunger and create an explosion of flavour in your mouth.”

CART #2
LOCATION: Nathan Philips Square, northwest corner of Queen & Bay St.
CUISINE: Persian
LINE-UP: Completely non-existent for the 20 minutes we were there.

It seems word has spread that this cart’s offerings are substandard. I couldn’t even finish my Biryani ($5) because the rice was so dried out, not even the yougurty sauce could save it. Billy tried the Chicken Biryani and said: “It’s honestly not even worth mentioning. Dried, overcooked chicken in a slop-heap of rice.” The Chicken Kabob ($5, shown right) didn’t fare any better. Sonia’s verdict: “Chicken was dry and cold and the pita was drier and colder. For $5, I would much rather walk a few steps in front to visit the chip trucks.”

The city’s insistence that all foods are pre-made in a licensed kitchen ultimately means most items are going to be incredibly dry. While I understand health concerns and standards, I can’t help but think about all the places around the world where street food is the most delicious and cheapest choice. How did this idea fail so miserably in Toronto? And yes, let’s not sugarcoat things, regardless of food quality and this being a “pilot project,” the Toronto A La Cart program fails to impress.

Brampton is the city for getting your Indian food fix, buffet style. I’m a huge fan of Brar’s Sweets, but with a line up running out the door and a cranky hungry family of five, we decided to give Village of India a go, a “100% pure vegetarian” restaurant located at 114 Kennedy Road.

You can expect to find all the usual suspects at this Indian buffet: daal, paneers, channa, raita, naan, pickled veggies, kofta, saag, bengan and more! Now, I could go on and explain a translated version of each dish but why? With the shockingly low buffet price of $6.99, the fun lies in exploring them all yourself. Once finished, loosen your belt, sip on some sweet chai tea and let the digesting begin.

Stepping out of a streetcar at Gerrard and Coxwell makes you feel like you’ve been transported to the colourful streets of Mumbai, minus having to dodge stray cows, walls of people and the blistering heat. Little India in Toronto is a special place. Shop for 24-karat gold, haggle for silks and saris or just dive into the vast assortment of cuisines. One of my favourite places to visit is Udupi Palace (1460 Gerrard St. East) known for its authentic South Indian food. The restaurant may look like a basement banquet hall complete with fluorescent lighting and stackable chairs, but no one goes for the ambiance. The staff is extremely friendly and the vibe exudes casual eating at its finest and most importantly, cheapest.

Udupi offers 15 varieties of dosas, ranging from $5 to $10. What’s a dosa you ask? Well, it’s a crepe made from either fermented rice or lentil paste. Attention gluten sufferers—this place is calling your name. The batter is ladled onto a greased pan and once cooked, is stuffed with vegetables or meat and rolled up into an impressively large crispy cylindrical or cone shape. Dosas are served with numerous side dishes including sambhar (peppery lentil stew), chunteys (mostly coconut) and Indian pickles to name a few.

While at Udupi, be sure to save room and order the Chana Batura. The spicy chickpeas have a masala kick and the deep fried rotis, also known as pooris, are guaranteed to be fresh and fluffy. It’s like eating a cloud for the price of pennies. Heavenly!

Udupi Palace / 1460 Gerrard St. East, Toronto
416 405 8189 / Sun-Thurs 12-10, Fri & Sat 12-11