A Punjabi dhaba is a roadside restaurant or cafe in either India or Pakistan featuring Punjabi cuisine. These are found on highways and on the outskirts of cities, towns, and villages. Dhaba is the name given to roadside restaurants in India. They are on highways, generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops.[1] They are most commonly found next to petrol stations, and most are open 24 hours a day. Since many Indian truck drivers are of Punjabi descent, and Punjabi food and music are 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.Dhaba roadside eateries are a common feature on the Punjab's national and state highways. Earlier frequented only by truck drivers, today eating at a dhaba—urban or roadside—is a trend.OriginIt is said that "The dhaba moves wherever a Punjabi goes." The first Punjabi dhaba was probably established soon after the linking of the cities of India by highways (national, state and village roads). Though no records can be cited as to the first Punjabi dhaba, it can reasonably be assumed that such restaurants first flourished along the Grand Trunk Roadwhich ran from Peshawar in the Punjab (now in Pakistan) through Amritsar and Delhi to Calcutta.TandoorThe tandoor (also called ‘tandooria’ or dhatti) is a barrel-shaped clay or earthenware oven, which makes Punjabi cuisine special. It is a versatile kitchen appliance for making rotisand naans and a social institution. In rural Punjab, 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 socializing.[4] Until a few years ago, this phenomenon existed in urban neighbourhoods, too. Even today, a few neighbourhoods in Delhi have a community tandoor.RiceA predominantly wheat-eating people, the Punjabis cook rice 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 favorite dish.In winter, is rice cooked with jaggery is gurwala chawal, or rao ki kheer delicacy when cooked on slow fire for hours with sugarcane juice, and sometimes rice is also cooked with green peas.Non-vegetarian optionsAuthentic 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-vegetarian Kathi Rolls, etc.Non-vegetarian popular starters include kebabs – Gosht Pudhina Sheek, Tangri and Macchi Hariyali Tikka and Chicken tikka.Murg yakhni shorba and chicken shorba are popular soups.Most meat delicacies are eaten with plain rice, phulka or tandoori roti without ghee or butter.