Punjab luxury hotels go traditional with Dhabas

       Chandigarh/New Delhi: Punjabi dhaba in luxury hotels is becoming a trend to attract customers. It is not just the dicor, but the food itself that has made the show a big business. Great ambience, festive mood, delicious food all combine to make the evening remarkable, moving and memorable. As you enter, the aroma of the 'tarka' stimulates your appetite at the Singh Sahib Restaurant where 'Dhaba' was the festival theme. The idea was - while the Dal fry or the 'Sarson ka Saag' was ready, all you did was relax on a charpai and gossip away. For a non-vegetarian, what better delights than tandoori tikkas and seekh kebabs to set the ball rolling! The main course is quite formidable - Mogewala meat, Murg Saagwala, pindi choley, Makai Palak, and a lot more. Piers Harmer, a visitor from England said, "It is going to be different type of flavour, consistency and the main dishes are absolutely marvellous. A lot of Indian food in the continent is very creamy, with lots of yogurt; you do not have it here. You have much more riches tomato spicy, flavoured food, which is very nice." In 20 dollars, one can eat to his heart's content.

      Festivals like these provide an opportunity to the most fastidious guests to sample the 'dhaba' food, which proves to be a profitable venture for the hotels. In just 10 days, the business grew manifold - claims Singh Sahib, besides the goodwill and invaluable publicity. Surinder Gautam, Master Chef, Intercontinental Hotel, New Delhi said, "Such festivals give us an opportunity to introduce the best talent in cooking. We serve the unusual on such occasion. So the guests are treated to a variety of dishes". Ethnic decor and great food - attempt to explore the rich and vibrant culture of Punjab. Guests liked the concept of self- service, as are free to pick the best from the best. To top this all, hot 'gulab jamuns', 'ras malai', 'ladoos' and 'Moong dal ka halwa', all sweets are available at 'Mithai ki dukan', the stall of traditional north Indian sweets. In India, while travelling through roads, one can easily find a lot of Dhabas, or local restaurants, on highways. Generally, Dhabas, serve as truck stops and cater local cuisine. Dhabas are commonly found next to petrol pumps and remain open 24X7 days just like petrol pumps where all truck drivers congregate. Since most Indian truck drivers are of Punjabi descent, and Punjabi food and music is quite popular throughout India, the word Dhaba has come to represent any restaurant that serves Punjabi food, especially the heavily spiced and fried Punjabi fare preferred by many truck drivers. The word has come to represent Indian local cuisine so much so that many Indian restaurants in Europe and America have adopted it as a part of the name.
- Nov 16, 2006