I distinctly recall a 2019 faculty street journey to Kasara which lies alongside the Mumbai-Nashik route. The plan was an in a single day trek to Maharashtra’s Sandhan Valley (also referred to as the Valley of Shadows). We determined to gas up earlier than commencing the lengthy stroll by way of the ravine.
At an area meals joint, piping scorching Maggi, samosas (a savoury Indian pastry), vada pavs (deep fried potato dumplings in bread), and chai occupied the size and breadth of the ricketty desk as 17 hungry adolescents feasted to their coronary heart’s content material.
Manners and etiquette waltzed out by way of the window as we smacked our lips and licked the spicy Maharashtrian garlic chutney off our fingers. It grew to become clear to me why since time immemorial, dhabas (roadside meals stalls) have been the primary alternative of truck drivers.
Presumably, the primary situations of dhabas appeared across the center of the twentieth century on Grand Trunk Highway (considered one of Asia’s oldest roads that connects Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent). I can vividly think about a bunch of truckers sitting round on charpaayis (cots), digging into paranthas (a Punjabi speciality), and gulping down glasses of lassi (sweetened milk) as empty plates had been cleared, making room for extra helpings.
The dhaba tradition nonetheless persists and, whether or not you recall or not, you’ve had a slice of it. Listed below are eight dhabas you might need to take a look at.
1. Chilika Dhaba
If seafood is the place your coronary heart lies, then the Chilika Dhaba (situated close to its namesake lake) in Barkul, Odisha, is the place you ought to be heading. Spicy curry seeps out of vibrant crab shells, soaking the meat inside. Regional and genuine native masalas coat the prawns that, when in comparison with their metropolis counterparts, are huge. The lobsters and tiger prawns play chief visitors on the celebration on every thali (Indian meals platter).
At Chilika Dhaba, there isn’t a set menu; the meats and recipes rely upon the catch of the day. Among the many non-vegetarian standouts is the mutton curry.
Deal with: NH16, Barkul, Odisha – 752030.
2. Giani Da Dhaba
Giani Da Dhaba has seen an prosperous listing of patrons together with the likes of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and former Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh. Resilience was evident among the many homeowners when the constructing was demolished in 2017 to make approach for 4 laning of Nationwide Freeway 22. Inside months, the dhaba was on its ft, albeit on the other aspect of the street.
The historical past of the founder Kuldeep Singh, a mechanic at an area watch manufacturing firm, traces again to the Nineteen Seventies when he began an eatery for commuters en path to Shimla. With time, the recognition grew and the standard menu of tea and biscuits expanded to butter hen, paranthas, and different non-vegetarian delicacies.
Deal with: Giani Da Dhaba, Dharampur, Himachal Pradesh – 173209.
3. Amrik Sukhdev
The delight of Haryana’s Murthal and the solace of truck drivers — Amrik Sukhdev dhaba has stood the take a look at of time since 1956. It was this 12 months {that a} gentleman Sardar Prakash Singh conceptualised an area the place truck drivers may very well be served roti (Indian flatbread), dal (lentils), and paranthas. Spoonfuls of scorching butter greased the floor of steaming paranthas.
Since then, the flavours and consistency have endured, whereas the menu has expanded. The choices are now not restricted to the three objects however embrace North Indian delicacies and Indian sweets. Each bus driver on their approach from Delhi to Chandigarh makes a cease at this iconic spot.
Deal with: No.52, 250KM Stone, Grand Trunk Rd, Murthal, Haryana – 131039.
4. Puran Singh Da Dhaba
The story of Puran Singh Da Dhaba is cloaked in historical past. A easy Google search will render many outcomes with the identical identify. However the authentic dhaba traces to Ambala. Some say Puran Singh settled within the metropolis after retiring from the Indian Military; others say he settled right here post-Partition. Whereas the origins had been debated, it was unanimously agreed that Singh’s mutton and hen recipes had been too good to be true. An anecdote tells of how different dhaba homeowners paid Singh to shut at 6 pm in order that they may get some enterprise!
It’s rumour that the dhaba is a favorite of Chef Ranveer Brar.
Deal with: 9R6X+CC7, Ambala Cantt, Haryana – 133001.
5. Dhaba Finish Dee’s Samaroh
With its vibrant bamboo facade, and aromas wafting out of the enclosure that stands alongside Nationwide Freeway 37, Dhaba Finish Dee’s Samaroh is straightforward to identify. The menu is equally compelling. It’s full of genuine Assamese preparations — equivalent to duck butter masala, pork chilli, bahu barbeque, fried pavo, and pigeon chilli.
Deal with: Nationwide Freeway 37, Close to Koliabhomora Batamari Kachari Pam, Tezpur, Assam – 784027.
6. Ganga Dhaba
Ask any officer from the Lal Bahadur Shastri Nationwide Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) about their favorite dhaba for chai and snacks and they’ll level you within the route of Ganga Dhaba. It’s helmed by 70-year-old Deepak Garg, who began a meals joint in 1978 and christened it ‘Om Chinese language Restaurant’. Right this moment, it is called Ganga Dhaba.
Evenings witness jam classes with the officers bonding over previous numbers. A crowd favorite snack throughout these classes is the Mughlai parantha and aloo-pyaaz parantha ready by Deepak’s spouse Sussma.
Deal with: F3C3+25J, Unnamed Highway, Charleville, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand – 248179.
7. Kesar Da Dhaba
As soon as a favorite of Lala Lajpat Rai, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi, Kesar Da Dhaba is tucked within the slim lanes of Chowk Passian, Amritsar. The concept was born in 1916 when a gentleman Lala Kesar Mal and his spouse Parvati from the Sheikhpura area of Pakistan started promoting dal makhani (a curry of black lentils, purple kidney beans, cream and recent butter, cooked in a single day in a copper vessel) together with roti.
After the Partition in 1947, the couple determined to shift the dhaba to Amritsar. With scorching crisp paranthas, creamy lassi, scrumptious thalis, and the normal Punjabi dessert firni (candy pudding) filling up the menu, Kesar da Dhaba carries on the legacy of Punjabi cultural heritage.
Deal with: Chowk Passian, Gali Rajpura, close to Phone Change, Amritsar, Punjab – 143001.
8. Rajinder Da Dhaba
Barbeque and anda (egg) fry. This duo has been a crowd-puller ever for the reason that inception of Rajinder Da Dhaba in 1968. When Rajinder Kumar Dua, a vegetable vendor at Kamal Cinema Highway in Delhi, got here up with this concept, he by no means fathomed the type of adore it would amass.
Quickly, the dhaba rose to the ranks of one of the standard meals joints in Delhi. The dhaba’s success is in conventional achari tikkas (meats marinated in yoghurt and spices), dahi kebabs (minced meat cooked on skewers), shahi paneer (a cottage cheese preparation), and kormas (creamy and spicy curries). Don’t miss out on the galouti kebabs (minced meat cooked in spices) and the hen curry. We hear they’re fairly appetising.
Deal with: AB-14B, Nauroji Nagar Marg, reverse Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi – 110029.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
Sources
Iconic Giani Da Dhaba on Kalka-Shimla Freeway no extra by Saurabh Prashar, Printed on 1 June 2017.
The Truckers’ Meals That Turned an Indian Culinary Fashion by Kalpana Sunder.
Historical past of Puran Singh Ka Dhaba by Desi Meals Tales.
