Some of the city’s most delicious paneer, vindialoo, and curry can be found at Toronto’s top Indian restaurants, which are a combination of upscale dining experiences and laid-back establishments with comfortable seating. You may anticipate dishes that are influenced by India’s street cuisine as well as some upscale wine selections.
The following are some of the most well regarded Indian restaurants in Toronto.
1. Banjara
One of the most well-liked Indian restaurants in Toronto is called Banjara. It is regarded for having some of the most delicious butter chicken and biryani in the city.
The nomadic Banjara people of India were exposed to a wide range of cuisines throughout their travels, which served as the inspiration for Banjara’s name. This Banjara restaurant is oddly located adjacent to another Indian restaurant (there’s another one on Eglinton), which adds to the mystique of the place. I have always like the unique indoor/outdoor architecture of the inside here, which features a glassed-in front eating area that allows for an abundance of natural light even during the winter months when it is too chilly to sit outdoors. The restaurant’s signature butter chicken costs $14.50 and begins with chicken tikka grilled in the tandoor. The chicken tikka is lean white meat that has had all of the fat removed.
After that, the pieces of beef are cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with their very own house-ground combination of spices. There is no additional sugar needed because all of the sweetness comes naturally from the tomato. The end product is the best butter chicken possible, with flesh that is delicate enough to be able to be shredded just a little bit, gravy that is thick with a beautiful somewhat gritty texture, and flavour that is warmly spiced, punchy, and speckled with pepper.
The tandoori fish consists of three boneless salmon slices and costs $15.99 for the order. All of the “tandoori sizzlers” are marinated in garlic, ginger, lime juice, and yoghurt for a whole night before being cooked in the tandoor to impart a beautiful smokey charcoal taste. They are then served in a sizzling pan on top of a bed of onions and peppers. In addition to having an exterior that is crisp and an inside that is delicate, this dish does not have an overpowering taste of fish.
Cremini and shiitake mushrooms in a tomato and onion sauce are included in the vegan-friendly and rather non-traditional mushroom curry ($11.50), which is made using cremini and shiitake mushrooms.
The vegetarian biryani costs $10.50 and is prepared in the Hyderabadi way, with basmati rice that has been flavoured with spices and blended with tomato, onion, masala, and cashews. Large pieces of cauliflower, potato, pepper, and shiitake mushroom may be found scattered throughout the rice that has been delicately seasoned.
A cup of house-brewed chai costs $3.50, and a glass of mango lassi costs $4.25; additional required accompaniments include raita (at a cost of $2.99), papadum (at a cost of $0.75), and, of course, naan (at a cost of $2.75). The unique chewiness and sweetness of these naan breads comes from the use of organic flour, eggs, milk, and honey in the baking process. The garlic naan, which costs $3.99, packs a tremendous taste punch because to the inclusion of garlic in both the dough and the considerable amount of butter that is sprinkled on top.
In fact, papadum are provided free of charge at the beginning of each and every dinner. They are delivered to the table together with house condiments such as tamarind cinnamon date sauce and mint cilantro yoghurt as soon as the diners are seated.
Throughout his forty-year career, Chef Rajeswara Rao Veerella has worked in a variety of kitchens across the world. Some of the delicate touches, like as the shiitakes, are holdovers from his time spent in Asian kitchens.
2. Pukka
The Indian food at Pukka, located on St. Clair West, is presented in a contemporary manner. The new restaurant is jointly owned by the sommelier Derek Valleau and the restaurateur Harsh Chawla. The menu has a variety of options, ranging from lighter fare to hearty family-style meals.
The newly remodelled interior of the establishment, which is located in the location formerly occupied by Zemra, has chic black ceilings, painted white brick walls, industrial cabinetry, and accents of green and orange upholstery. The only thing that hints to its Indian heritage are a couple of shiny canvases that have a credo written in Hindi scratched on them.
The rigorous wine programme that Valleau and Peter Boyd, who is also the sommelier at Scaramouche, have developed is at the heart of Pukka’s aspirations. Bottles start at $39, and glasses range in price from $8.29 to $12. These wines have been picked to go well with hearty, spice-infused comfort meals and exciting, festive bar snacks such as South Indian-style fried Chicken 65 ($9.40), Gunpowder Prawns ($16.10) and Butternut Squash Samosas ($6.90).
I decide to have the Chaat ($8.70), which is a cold salad consisting of a robust blend of sweet potatoes, mung beans, chickpeas, crispy puffed rice, green apple, radishes, carrots, scallions, and micro greens that is topped with chutney and sweet yoghurt. The meal is mouthwatering and enjoyable to eat, and it could even be able to compete with Susur Lee’s well-known slaw due to the abundance of ingredients, the variety of textures, and the powerful and distinctive tastes it possesses. I choose the Malai Chicken Tikka ($12.80) from the list of kebabs. It has very soft chunks of fowl that have been marinated in saffron, cashew, and cardamom-spiced yoghurt and is served with a green chilli sauce for dipping.
The next item on the menu is the Stuffed Paneer, which costs $15.90 and consists of large slabs of paneer piled with oyster mushrooms and obviously fresh spinach on top of a foundation of creamy pistachio korma sauce. Along with an order of crispy French Beans ($7.90) topped in turmeric, coconut, and caramelised onions, warm Buttter Naan ($2.80) is provided as a side dish to soak up all of the sauce.
There are alternatives to the traditional Indian sweets that Chawla acknowledges aren’t always well welcomed (I couldn’t agree more; I’m not a fan of gulub jamun), such as a Chai Pot de Creme (which costs $7.20) or an Eton Mess (which costs $6.70) with rosewater meringue and sweet lassi cream. Both of these options are available.
Pukka is open daily for supper at 5pm. Both reservations and orders for takeaway are encouraged and welcomed here.
3. Leela, an Indian restaurant located on Gerrard Street
The original Leela Indian cuisine Bar in the Junction has been transformed into the more relaxed Leela Indian Food Bar, which features an expanded menu that includes even more Indian street cuisine and snacks.
The restaurant, which was formerly known as Bombay Chowpatty and served chaat classics and flavours of Old Bombay, is now situated in Little India and takes its design cues mostly from dhabas, which are South Asian roadside cafes.
If you frequented the former late-night food location, you may recognise a few of the items that are still on the menu at Bombay Chowpatty. These items were previously offered at the prior establishment. This is due to the fact that before to opening this location, Leela Indian Food Bar was owned by restaurantier Hemant Bhagwani, but now it is owned by Hormazd Daver.
Daver was able to adapt his initial attempt at making Bombay Chowpatty with the assistance of his brother-in-law, who had a career as a chef in the United Kingdom. Daver was a member of the flight crew for Cathay Pacific airlines for a number of years before he began his career in the restaurant industry.
In order to obtain the truest possible representation of Indian flavours, everything in the kitchen is prepared from scratch on a daily basis using Indian products and spices.
Leela Indian Food BarAfter being cooked on the hob with melon seeds and fresh tomatoes, the butter chicken (which costs $14.99) is smoked over charcoal before being placed in the serving pot for consumption.
Leela Indian Food BarThe cover is maintained in its position until it is removed at the table, at which point the smoke is allowed to escape. Because the ingredients are not as sweet as the normal butter chicken available in the metropolis, this dish stands apart from the crowd.
One more curry is offered on the menu, and it is simply one of the vegetarian alternatives. It consists of kale and spinach, bits of paneer, and a creamy coconut milk sauce created from fresh vegetables. The dish costs $13.99.
Leela Indian Food BarIt is essential to order the chilli garlic naan ($3.25) as an accompaniment to any of the curries since it strikes the ideal mix between butter and heat.
Leela Indian Food BarAlong with a bowl of mutter pulao, which costs $5.95. The savoury serving of rice is seasoned with a combination of spices, and it comes accompanied with green peas.
Lasooni cauliflower is another one of their specialty dishes and costs $11.99. The sweet and spicy flavour of the sauce comes from a mixture of sriracha and a homemade hot sauce created from chilies and crushed garlic. Together, these two ingredients create the sauce.
Leela Indian Food BarWhile it was still operating under the name Bombay Chowpatty, this establishment has been dishing out the chaats that can be seen on the menu for well over a decade.
The dish known as dahi puri costs $8.99 and is thought to have originated in the Indian city of Mumbai. It consists of little puri shells that are stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, and ragda. The yoghurt is topped with green and tamarind chutneys that were produced in the kitchen. It is recommended to consume the loaded shells as soon as possible for a bit of a crunch.
When compared to the size of the dish, the price of the Hariyali chicken tikka at $14.99 seems too high. However, the lively marinade made of coriander, cilantro, mint, and yoghurt does help to somewhat compensate for this.
After being dipped in a batter made of chickpea flour and chaat masala, the pakora eggplant fries, which cost $10.99, are then deep-fried. This dish is yet another option on the menu of finger foods. As dipping sauces, tamarind and hari chutney are brought to the table on the side.
Rose-flavored milk, ice cream, and sabja seeds are included in a cup of royal falooda, which costs $6.99 and serves both as a beverage and a dessert.
Leela Indian Food BarThe furnishings of this location may be significantly less upscale than those of its cousin on Dundas West; nonetheless, this location features a sizable terrace that wraps from the front to the side of the restaurant.
4. Cumin
The Indian cuisine of Cumin Kitchen is known for being flavorful, and the restaurant also places a strong emphasis on its attractive presentation.
The modest restaurant is a cosy and laid-back setting for lunch, and it turns into a romantic destination in the evening thanks to its romantic decor, which includes plush seats and seductive drapes.
It is unusual for restaurants serving Indian food to have an open kitchen, therefore it is fascinating to watch the chef and the other chefs conduct their work in the establishment’s kitchen. cumin Kitchen is located in Toronto.Every dinner begins with a free papadum plate, which consists of two crispy buns made of chickpea flour and dusted with cumin seeds. These rolls are served with mint and tamarind chutneys.
For those who are interested in sampling a variety of vegetarian starters all at once, the Pakora Platter (which costs $9) comes highly recommended.
On the dish you will find two samosas, crispy aloo tikki, fried onion bhaji, and one hariyali kabab. The hariyali kabab is a little circular with a green hue that is produced from spinach and chana dal.
The only meal on the menu that does not originate in India is the Nepali momos, which costs $9. The eight dumplings that come with this dish are stuffed with chicken mince and served with a sesame-based sauce that has a hint of heat.
The tandoori platter costs $28 and has a variety of meats that have been cooked in the tandoor oven.
The combination includes chicken turned green from spices, fish cooked in a tandoor oven, lamb chops, and a skewer of seekh kebab. Also included is mirchi tikka. A side salad consisting of lentils and asparagus topped with mint sauce can be prepared.
A thick and flavorful sauce prepared from roasted chilies and traditional spices is included in the goat vindaloo that costs $16. This dish’s level of spiciness can range from mild to severe, depending on the individual’s capacity for handling heat.
Both the butter naan (which costs $3) and the garlic naan (which costs $4) are alternatives that can never go wrong and are required if eating anything with sauce. Before being hacked into smaller pieces, they measure around one metre and a half in length each.
The paalak paneer ($13) is an irresistible spinach sauce that is the ideal complement to naan and contains handmade pieces of paneer (cheese). This dish is not spicy and is ideal for individuals who are sensitive to heat.
In light of the fact that most of the establishments along this section of the Danforth may be described as dives or greasy spoons, the opening of Cumin Kitchen represents a welcome deviation in the form of a location to enjoy a fragrant Indian dinner.
5th. Indian Street Food Co
On Bayview, Indian Street Food Co. has taken the position of Amaya the Indian Room. It’s a 50-seat canteen by Hemant Bhagwani that made news when it first opened for its no-tipping policy, an innovative approach that has somewhat eclipsed the true reason you’ll want to come here: the cuisine.
Folk music is pumped into a dining area adorned with coloured wood slats and framed images of Indian street markets and festivals. Portraits of Ghandi and Mother Teresa are painted on the walls, and the restaurant’s “rules” are humorously written.
The menu begins with two tasting menu options: a three-course dinner ($65 with wines, or $45 without) that begins with shareable appetisers and progresses to an amazing thali; and a tapas-style menu ($79/$59) that offers a range of small dishes for the table.
The Murabba Mule ($12) is an effervescent concoction of ginger beer, vodka, thick mango pulp combined with pulverised murabba that adds an additional intense fruity taste.
The restaurant attempts to bring the vivid culture of street markets to the table and takes the challenge pretty literally in certain circumstances. Trolleys are rolled over to guests for dramatic presentations of chaat or dosa made to order at the table.
There’s a Granola Bar ($9.90) on the a la carte menu, but it’s not the sweet snack meal you might anticipate. This savoury chaat of jhalmuri is topped with creamy sliced avocado and a dollop of lentil dumpling ice cream and drizzled with tamarind sauce.
The chilled fish bhel ($9.90) follows. This Indian ceviche has red snapper with cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, and crispy lemon vermicelli. It’s topped with green mango and sweet date chutney and serves as a necessary cooling component among the spicy meals.
The Pau Bhaji Fondue ($9.90) is a spicy vegetable stew with soft bread cubes and delicious mint chutney. Skewering the bread and dipping it in this fashion makes it a little more challenging to get all of the wonderful things, but I really appreciate how the presentation takes such a simple meal and makes it seem more sophisticated.
