As you zoom down a six-lane highway, a little travel-weary, your entire body language changes when you see a dhaba. When you are hungry and want a filling meal that will keep you running for a few hours more, this dhaba is the answer to your prayers.
It serves everything, from hot chai to butter-laced parathas, from aerated drinks to paneer butter masala, from dal fry to oil-dripping pakoras. You are too tired to worry about your waistline, so you gorge on the hot, spicy fare on offer and round it off with a thick lassi.
The jute charpoy or wooden planks surrounded by basic plastic chairs may not appear particularly inviting, but the food is definitely mouth-watering if you know what to choose and, most crucially, where to draw the line.
These highway dhabas, usually open-air and well served by hardy little boys who scurry around to do your bidding, have been in business for decades.
But these dhabas have not been totally immune to the winds
of change. As customers become more health-conscious and begin to stay away from these fly-infested and dusty eateries, owners are beginning to create closed and covered spaces to keep the heat and pollution out.
North and central India are usually associated with highway dhabas, but chances are you will find a fair share of these wayside inns in eastern and western India as well. Whether you are driving into Kolkata from Durgapur or from Gujarat to Mumbai on the Porbandar highway, the food is likely to be just as yummy.
In fact, it is no longer just long-distance travellers who stop by at these eateries. It is the in thing for many weekend diners to drive out of town simply to savour the meals that are rustled up by these highway joints. The tasty food may not necessarily be light on the tummy but it is certainly no strain on the pocket. And a long drive always acts as an added attraction.
It serves everything, from hot chai to butter-laced parathas, from aerated drinks to paneer butter masala, from dal fry to oil-dripping pakoras. You are too tired to worry about your waistline, so you gorge on the hot, spicy fare on offer and round it off with a thick lassi.
The jute charpoy or wooden planks surrounded by basic plastic chairs may not appear particularly inviting, but the food is definitely mouth-watering if you know what to choose and, most crucially, where to draw the line.
These highway dhabas, usually open-air and well served by hardy little boys who scurry around to do your bidding, have been in business for decades.
But these dhabas have not been totally immune to the winds
of change. As customers become more health-conscious and begin to stay away from these fly-infested and dusty eateries, owners are beginning to create closed and covered spaces to keep the heat and pollution out.North and central India are usually associated with highway dhabas, but chances are you will find a fair share of these wayside inns in eastern and western India as well. Whether you are driving into Kolkata from Durgapur or from Gujarat to Mumbai on the Porbandar highway, the food is likely to be just as yummy.
In fact, it is no longer just long-distance travellers who stop by at these eateries. It is the in thing for many weekend diners to drive out of town simply to savour the meals that are rustled up by these highway joints. The tasty food may not necessarily be light on the tummy but it is certainly no strain on the pocket. And a long drive always acts as an added attraction.
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