 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Dhaba" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Adhaba is a roadside restaurant in theIndian subcontinent. They are on highways, generally serve local cuisine, and also serve astruck stops.[1] They are most commonly found next topetrol stations, and most are open 24 hours a day.[2]
Dhabas are a common feature on national and state highways. Earlier frequented only by truck drivers, today eating at a dhaba, whether urban or roadside, is a trend.[3] Dhabas have additionally been established bySouth Asian diaspora communities in countries including theUnited States.[4][5]
The word has been alleged infolk etymology to stem fromdabba, m., box,lunch box,[6]tiffin.
Dhabas sprung up first onGT Road, which ran fromPeshawar,Rawalpindi, andLahore throughAmritsar,Ludhiana, and further toDelhi andCalcutta.
Dhabas were characterized by mud structures and cots to sit upon (charpai) while eating. A wooden plank would be placed across the width of the cot on which to place the dishes. With time, the cots were replaced by tables. The food is typically inexpensive and has a homemade feel to it.
A large network of Indian and Pakistani immigrant communities has developed worldwide, and many have opened dhabas abroad, such as attruck stops on theTrans-Canada Highway network.
As of 2023, it was estimated that there were approximately 40 dhabas in the United States, which has been credited to the growing number ofPunjabi Americantruckers.[4]
Food served in dhabas is wholesome and full of rustic flavour. Food is served on big brass or steelthali (plates) and drinks – water,lassi, milk (of several varieties), or tea, as well asshorbas (soups) – are served. It is very common for alcohol (such aswhisky orDesi Daru) to be sold at non-vegetarian dhabas inPunjab.
Two types of food are served in the dhabas – non-vegetarian cuisine (which is the most popular) and vegetarian fare termedvaishno dhabas (where food is cooked in pureghee or clarified white butter).Dal makhni is a popular dish in the vegetarian dhaba, whereasbutter chicken ortandoori chicken are typically favoured in non-vegetarian dhabas (especially in Punjab).
Thetandoor (also called ‘tandooria’ ordhatti) is a barrel-shaped clay or earthenware oven, where the food is cooked. It is a versatile kitchen appliance for makingrotis andnaans and a social institution. In rural North India, the community tandoor, dug in the ground and either coal-fired or (more recently) electrically heated, is a meeting place for women, who bring the kneaded atta (dough) and sometimes marinated meats to have them cooked while socialising.[7] Until a few years ago, this phenomenon existed in urban neighbourhoods, too. Even today, a few neighbourhoods inDelhi andLahore have a communitytandoor.
Most menus are made according to the season. The universal favourite ischole bhature which is a year-round item and is available at every wayside dhaba; it originated in Northern India but is now found anywhere in the Indian subcontinent or other countries where theSouth Asian diaspora have migrated in large numbers. But, the pride of the Punjabi winter cuisine issarson ka saag (curry made out of mustard leaves) served with blobs of white butter accompanied bymakki ki roti andlassi.
Some ingredients are:
 | This sectionmay containoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The simple vegetarian meal served could be aparatha of many kinds depending on the type of vegetable stuffing one wishes to have – among these thealoo paratha is the most popular. Parathas stuffed with cooked, mashed and spiced vegetables such as cauliflower are popular for breakfast with curds or tea.
A vegetarian meal – for lunch or dinner – consists ofchana masala,pindi chana, vegetables and lentils,sarson ka saag,palak paneer,bharwan karela,subzkorma,rajma orkadhi.
Paneer dishes are common in a vegetarian menu. It is cooked with every kind of vegetable, the popular dishes of such variety arepalak paneer orsaag paneer,mutter paneer,paneer makhani etc.
Naan andparatha, rotis made of maize flour (makki di roti),chappatis made out of maize flour, andrumali roti are typicalIndian breads.
The basic gravy used for vegetables and meat dishes is onion-tomato-garlic-ginger.
A predominantly wheat-eating people, thePunjabis cookrice only on special occasions. Rice is rarely cooked plain or steamed and is always made with a flavouring of cumin or fried onions.Sada chawal – plain rice – is served with other wheat-based dishes.Vegetable biryani (fried veg rice) is also a favourite dish.
In winter, rice cooked withjaggery isgurwala chawal, orrao ki kheer, a delicacy when cooked on slow fire for hours with sugarcane juice, and sometimes rice is also cooked with green peas.
Authentic items include kadhai murg,tandoori chicken, tali machali amritsar, rara gosht,chicken tikka masala, peppery tandoori chicken, anda paneer (egg curry), seek kebabs,butter chicken, vegetarian and non-vegetariankathi rolls, etc.
Non-vegetarian popular starters includekebabs – gosht pudhina sheek, tangri, macchi hariyali tikka, andchicken tikka.
Murg yakhni shorba and chicken shorba are popular soups.
Most meat delicacies are eaten with plain rice, phulka, or tandooriroti without ghee or butter.
Drinks served at a vegetarian dhaba normally includelassi, milk, water and freshfruit juice.
Non-Vegetarian dhabas often serve the same drinks as their Vegetarian counterparts, but often also include alcoholic beverages at a cheaper price, especially in Punjab. Such drinks normally includewhisky,desi daru andbeer (served in bottles likeKingfisher).
Sweets include firni orphirni (a sweet dish made of milk, rice flour, and sugar and chilled in earthenware bowls),gulab jamun andburfi. The desserts include fresh hotjalebi with vanilla ice cream,rasmalai andkesarikheer.
The saffron-mixed buttermilk (lassi) ofAmritsar; milk boiled with almonds, pistachio, and dry dates in winter; and the same mix boiled into a thick liquid and then solidified in a banana-shaped mould in the form of a kulfi are desserts.Panjiri, awhole wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee, heavily laced with dry fruits and herbal gums, is eaten in the winters to ward off cold.
Haryana has dhabas all over, and dhabas inMurthal,Sonipat onGrand Trunk Road are famous for delicacies includingmurthal paratha, haryanvi daal, cheese bread pakora, and more.[8][9][10]Garam dharam (hot dharam), a vegetarian dhaba based on asholay theme in Murthal,Sonipat, with fruit parathas as one of its specialities, is owned by theBollywood action heroDharmendra.[11]
The word has come to represent thecuisine of the Indian subcontinent so much that manyIndian restaurants in Asia (Bangkok), Europe and the Americas (Trinidad and Tobago and theUnited States[4]) have adopted it as a part of the name.
Indian drinks | |
|---|---|
| Tea | |
| Alcoholic | |
