India’s dhaba restaurants, from scattered roadside truck stops to nationwide staple, and the high-end versions in India and Hong Kong
- India’s humble highway restaurants began springing up during the mid-20th century interlinking of cities, and are known for tasty tandoor-cooked comfort food
- They’re now ubiquitous across India, with some attaining legendary status. The format has also been reproduced at five-star hotels in New Delhi and Hong Kong
As a kid, growing up in Delhi, I was thrilled when my parents announced our annual visits to extended family in distant cities during the holidays. It was a joyous occasion to spend time with my beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who we barely saw the rest of the year.
However, as much as I revelled in these family reunions, I was equally excited about the pit stops we’d be making en route at our favourite dhabas to savour delicious food.
Dhabas – derived from the Hindi word “dabba”, meaning “lunchbox” – are highway cafes that pepper Indian roads like confetti.
Characterised by mud structures, casual seating on charpoys (a light, wood-framed woven cot) and rustic decor, they offer weary travellers comfort food cooked in clay tandoor ovens, in an unpretentious environment.
As soon as we’d pull up, we’d be shepherded by the waiter (usually called “chhottu”, or the little one) to a charpoy where a wooden plank would materialise, to be placed across the cot’s width.
On this would be placed all our favourite dishes: unctuous chicken curry (its meat falling off the bone); asafoetida-infused potato curry and sarson ka saag (mustard greens curry).