thumb|A dhaba on [[National Highway 76 (India)|National Highway 76 near Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.]]
thumb|A dhaba at [[Rekong Peo, Himachal Pradesh, India]]
thumb|Food at a dhaba in [[Punjab, India.]]
A dhaba is a roadside restaurant in the Indian subcontinent. They are on highways, generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops.
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. Dhabas have additionally been established by South Asian diaspora communities in countries including the United States.
Etymology and description
The word has been alleged in folk etymology to stem from dabba, m., box, lunch box, tiffin.
Dhabas sprung up first on GT Road, which ran from Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Lahore through Amritsar, Ludhiana, and further to Delhi and Calcutta.
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. Dahabas offer inexpensive food and relaxing environment. Until a few years ago, this phenomenon existed in urban neighbourhoods, too. Even today, a few neighbourhoods in Delhi and Lahore have a community tandoor.
Ingredients
Most menus are made according to the season. The universal favourite is chole 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 the South Asian diaspora have migrated in large numbers. But, the pride of the Punjabi winter cuisine is sarson ka saag (curry made out of mustard leaves) served with blobs of white butter accompanied by makki ki roti and lassi.
Some ingredients are:
- Wheat Garam dharam (hot dharam), a vegetarian dhaba based on a sholay theme in Murthal, Sonipat, with fruit parathas as one of its specialities, is owned by the Bollywood action hero Dharmendra.
Overseas
The word has come to represent the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent so much that many Indian restaurants in Asia (Bangkok), Europe and the Americas (Trinidad and Tobago and the United States