Gerrard India Bazaar Festival of South Asia

Unlike some of the other street-food festivals, the Festival of South Asia, Gerrard India Bazaar's annual extravaganza, offers a few items that aren't normally to be had. One of these is the chicken tikka from Chandni Chowk (1430 Gerrard East). Yes, they do sell it all year... but when they set up the big outdoor barbeque and serve it the instant it's done, it's worth standing in the long lineup engulfed in fragrant smoke.

Vegan-friendly South Indian vegetarian restaurant Udupi Palace (1460 Gerrard East) also normally hits the street with a kiosk serving up enticing bites that people don't usually order inside. They're holding another edition of their Spicy Dosa Eating Contest at 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 23. It seems to be turning into a summer-long circuit at various festivals. I covered the first edition last year, and it was a hoot. (I got to try some of the leftover dosas too, and they were very good: soft and omelette-like, unlike the standard crispy dosa.) I believe the entry fee ($10) goes to Sick Kids Hospital.

People who don't make it to the neighbourhood very often should probably check out the grocery stores like Kohinoor Foods (1438 Gerrard Street) and Toronto Cash and Carry (1405 Gerrard East) for items like fresh turmeric root (which looks like ginger, but smaller); silver foil-covered cardamom, curry leaf, premixed spices for various curries, and mangos. At BJ Supermarket (1449 Gerrard East), there's a geat selection of Dr. Patak chutnies and pickles, as well as tinned, boxed and frozen quick-serve versions of most standard Indian dishes. Quite often there are free food samples from BJ suppliers outside the shop.

Other tasty novelties to check out if you're not already familiar with them:

• Hot, frothy, sweet, pink Kashmiri tea with ground pistachios


• Falooda, like bubble tea, but with gluey tukmaria (basil seeds, apparently) in it


• Kulfi – South Asian ice cream – very creamy from (I believe) high condensed milk content. The best is the homemade type that comes in a tin mold that the shopkeeper will remove for you, available at Moti Mahal (1422 Gerrard East) and various paan shops


• Speaking of paan... this requires a whole post unto itself. For now, let's just say it's an assortment of pungent ingredients wrapped in a leaf, for chewing.


• Pani poori: crunchy little fried shells that get stuffed with a drippy mixture of tamarind, chickpeas and other fillings, so you get a mouth hit of hot, sweet, salty and sour all at once.

The Festival of South Asia takes place Friday, August 21 (5 to 11 p.m.), Saturday, August 22 (2 to 11 p.m.) and Sunday, August 23 (noon to 11 p.m.) along Gerrard Street East between Greenwood and Coxwell. It's easy to reach via the College/Gerrard streetcar, or by bus from the Greenwood or Coxwell TTC station.