Roti Indian Bistro - San Francisco, California

Located in the West Portal district of San Francisco, Roti Indian Bistro is a small yet wonderful restaurant serving eclectic Indian food. A place that's really hard to get reservations for, we were finally able to make it to this restaurant last week for dinner, and everyone at the table was happy with what we got. But as a chef and a food-critic who loves trying out new restaurants, I personally felt that it was a good experience, but I don't think it was one of my best experiences, especially with all the hype I'd heard about it. Neverthless, Roti Bistro is a better than average Indian restaurant in San Francisco, and surely deserves a few words of credit.

Located in the busy portal district, Roti Indian Bistro is a small place, compared to other grand indian restaurants I've seen elsewhere. But the cute place is nicely decorated to make the dining room a warm and inviting space with dramatic colors on the walls, soft light, and photos and paintings that portray the rich cultural essence of India. The kitchen at the end of the dining room can be seen from any seat, and you can watch the cooks in action. The owners, Rustom and his wife, are Burmese, but they are well-versed with Indian food, its tastes and methods of preparation. All of the wait staff is extremely well-trained, courteous and efficient. But they are not too helpful if you are new to Indian food and need real suggestions! Our waitress just recited the house specials as recommendations, and I knew she wasn't as conversant with indian food as expected.

Roti's is the first menu where we could NOT find "Malai Kofta" or "Paneer Butter Masala". Can you believe that? We went for the next best- Paneer Makhani, Bhindi Masala, which was tasty, hence compensated for us not finding our favorites on the menu. The appetizers are strictly ok, nothing glamorous here. The Tandoori section offers a better variety, but there's not a single vegetarian entry, not even Paneer Tikka! That was a huge negative for me!

They have a range of veg and non-veg curries, with loads of options for lamb, chicken and seafood lovers. The breads are also average; we simply ordered the Assorted Bread Basket which comes with Roti, Garlic & Basil naan, and Onion Kulcha - again, just ordinary. The Mango Lassi was $5.00, and I was shocked at the exorbitant price! The Drinks menu had quite a few indian classics, like Kingfisher beer and other premium wines. The Kulfi was really nice for the dessert, and I'd recommend it for sure.

Roti Bistro is a high-end restaurant, and you can expect a tab of at least $20-$25 per person. But be prepared for this - SFO now has a policy of mandatory health-care, and apparently, most of the restaurants add this to you bill, and at Roti Bistro, it was 4.5% of our bill; and that's besides a 15% gratuity!! I think that's outrageous, and would seriously make me think twice about visiting again!

To sum up, on the positive side, the food is good, and the ambience is pleasant. But there are several negatives to consider - very small space makes it difficult to get reservations, the open kitchen combined with the small space makes it a bit stuffy, especially if you are right next to the kitchen, and I think the food is definitely not worth the price. So I'd rate this restaurant a 3.5/5, maybe because I'd prefer Shiva's, Darbar or Amber India restaurant any day over this place. But for someone who's in the area and is looking for Indian food in San Francisco and doesn't mind blowing off some money, you can try to give Roti Bistro a chance and see for yourself!

Address:
53 W Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415)- 665-7684
Roti Indian Bistro

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Chana Masala (Chickpea) Sandwich - Indian Bruschetta

"Chhole" or "Chana Masala" is a popular Indian recipe for curried chickpeas, boiled and cooked in a delicious tomato-onion sauce, and flavored with mild Indian spices. I love chickpeas, and I really really love Bruschetta, so its not hard to guess how this beautiful Chhole Sandwich aka "Indian Bruschetta" was born! It was a totally on-the-spur-of-the-moment appetizer that I cooked up one night, making use of some leftover chickpeas topped on grilled bread, with some tomatoes, basil, cilantro and parmesan cheese. But it was such a successful experiment that I am sure I'll be making this more often! I was actually quite surprised at how presentable it looked too! But looks apart, this is one of the tastiest open sandwiches one could eat, even if you don't have an Indian palate. In fact, I actually liked this Indian Chickpea Bruschetta version more than a traditional Italian Bruschetta!! now isn't that something?!!

Ingredients
4 slices of wheat or white bread
8 tbsp chhole (curried chickpeas) - recipe below
4 tbsp fresh firm tomatoes - chopped finely
2-3 tbsp shredded cheese (parmesan or mozarella)
salt & pepper - to taste
fresh or dried basil - to taste (optional)
some finely chopped cilantro

Chhole (Chana Masala - Curried Chickpeas)
2 cans boiled chickpeas
1/2 onion - chopped finely
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp tamarind sauce mixed with 1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp yogurt (optional)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala or chhole masala
salt & lemon juice - to taste
water - if needed
3 tbsp oil

Method
Drain the chickpeas from the can and wash them well. Heat a saucepan, add the oil, and saute the onions till they become soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree.

Next, mix the tamarind paste in the yogurt and blend well. Add this to the tomato puree. Add all the spices and the drained chickpeas, then cover and let it cook for 10-15 mins, until the chickpeas are thoroughly cooked and become soft. Check for taste, adjust salt, lemon juice and spices, then remove from heat and keep aside to cool a little.

You can cook the Chhole ahead of time and preserve it refrigerated for upto 24 hours.

Garnish your Chana Masala with some onion rings and choped coriander, and you can serve it hot with Breads or Rice.

Assembling the Chhole Sandwich
Take each slice of bread; remove the edges and cut into desired shapes if you want. Toast the bread slices in a regular toaster or in an oven for 5-7 mins at 300 deg F, till they are lightly browned and crispy.

Mix the chopped tomatoes with salt, pepper, cilantro/basil, and toss to coat well. Set aside for 5 mins to let the flavors blend.

Take the curried chickpeas; put 2 tbsp each of this mixture onto the toasted bread(you can spread a little butter if you want). Top with a spoonful of tomato mixture, then sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top. Microwave each slice for 2 mins to let the cheese melt, or you can reheat the entire batch in an oven on a cookie sheet.

Serve these delicious and beautiful Chhole Sandwiches as an appetizer or a party snack. They look great and taste great, and are high in proteins and fiber, and I can bet your guests would love this Indian take on Bruschetta!

Related Recipes:
Shiitake Mushroom Crostini
Steamed Vegetable Timbales
Traditional Italian Bruschetta

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Apricot-Ginger-Cranberry Muffins

Apricot and Ginger are great flavors when paired together, and you'll vouch for it yourself once you try these delicious Apricot Ginger Muffins; its like capturing the essence of summer in a muffin! Made with fresh apricots and melted butter, these muffins are very soft and moist. The shredded ginger adds the perfect amount of spice, filling your kitchen with a refreshing aroma. I decided to add a handful of craisins, because it made my muffins look prettier and taste better! A simple blend of fresh ingredients baked together, these amazingly moist and flavorful Apricot & Ginger Muffins have become one of my favorite recipes!

These are perfect breakfast muffins, and have become my preferred choice, with a cup of Ginger-Cardamom tea, so try it for yourself and see! Off these go to Aparna who's hosting BBD#12 featuring "Small Quick Breads" this time!

Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins

1-3/4 cups self-raising flour
*** use 1 cup AP and 3/4 cup wheat flour for a healthier version
3/4 cup fresh apricots - diced
*** or use one 8.5-ounce can sweetened apricot chunks - drained
1 egg
*** substitute 1/4 cup vanilla or plain yogurt for an eggless version
1 cup castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp dried cranberries or craisins
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp baking powder

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare muffins pans by greasing with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ginger.

Combine egg, milk, melted butter and chopped apricots in another bowl. beat a little to combine everything together. Now add this to the dry mixture just until combined. Do not over-beat. Fold in the cranberries and stir.

Spoon the mixture into the moulds and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops rise and become golden.

Let the muffins cool in the rack for 10 mins. Then gently remove then from the moulds and transfer to a wire rack to further cool for another 5-7 mins.

Serve the deliciously soft muffins with a cup of tea. The sweet apricots are balanced by the semi-sweet cranberries, and the mild taste of ginger gives them a lovely flavor. The ginger flavor will be stronger one day later, which I really liked! The melted butter gives these Apricot Ginger Muffins a soft and rich texture that's hard to ignore!

Related Recipes:
Spiced Vanilla Tea Cupcakes
Low-Fat Pear-Almond-Yogurt Mini Cakes
Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Sauce
Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins

Related Tags
fruits, desserts, muffins, cranberry

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