One of the fondest childhood memories is drive out of the city to another city. Father would stop at dhabas for meals during such road trips. It was a rare privilege to be able to customise whatever we wanted from what they offered. It was all verbal – no printed menu here. For example, there would be poultry pottering around, and then based on the portion size, well one of them would be on our table. No getting into any ethical discussion here, but sitting below the open sky on those matter of fact charpoys, having those alfresco meals complete with onion and lassi, if nothing else, made solid memories. And even on the highways in the east – in Bengal, Bihar, or Orissa – dhabas served Punjabi fare.

We never thought that a time would come such dhabas would only exist in nostalgia. Most highway dhabas these days are mini restaurants cum entertainment centers cum café cum so many other things but not dhaba. Change is the only constant and we actually like change so no complaints. Just some nostalgia when we got this invite from Novotel New Delhi Aerocity. They recently held a 9 days long food festival –  “Highway Cuisine” at their multi -cuisine restaurant Food Exchange.

The food at this event was inspired by famous dhabas across the length and breadth of Punjab. To this end, they had got on board the skilled Chef Sweety Singh, an expert in the culinary nuances of Punjab. When we attended the event, we had the opportunity of interacting with the good chef. We use the adjective “good” consciously here. The chef had a beaming smile when he met us and we could almost see his pure heart. He was so humble and down to earth when he spoke in a mixture of Punjabi, Hindi, and English. No wonder his recipes were grounded in the nature of Punjab. And talking about grounded, he only used spices that were homemade and grounded in his kitchen. That would give his food a warm, home-like flavour.

And this was not a tall claim. Take the instance of Sarson ka Saag. The popularity of this mustard leaf preparation has spread way beyond the boundaries of Punjab. That is no surprise as both of us (the Punjabi and the Bengali) are big fans. Sarson ka Saag is a dish that is not really meant for going fancy. It tastes best when cooked at home and we have never enjoyed Sarson ka Saag at restaurants. Till at the “Highway Cuisine” festival. The Saag that Chef Singh served was simple and homely. With the combination of Makke ki Roti (corn flat bread), white butter, and gur or jaggery, this dish was just divine. It was the comfort food variety that mother makes.

We felt there was copious use of home-ground spice, butter, ghee, or clarified butter and curd for a hint of tanginess in most of the dishes. In fact, most of the other dishes were part of the Punjabi spread that was traditionally had on the road. At times it was simple like the Aloo – Vadi. The simple potato curry got an interesting and unusual twist with addition of vadi or dried lentil paste dumplings. Or it was the little more fun and adventurous Bhuna Kaleja. This was an offbeat spicy take on goat liver. In addition, there were the standard Punjab dishes like chicken and dal makhni. The course was balanced in terms of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and everybody was happy taking this culinary road trip to Punjab.

Incidentally, the Punjab highway dhaba fare was part of their larger regular dinner buffet spread. The standard buffet had soup, salads, cold cuts and cheese, Continental and some Asian main course dishes, and dessert that was a combination of Indian and bakery items. Oh, we forgot mentioning their tea–coffee corner. We had some coffee and green tea at the end and the beverages helped to complete the experience.

We have been to Novotel New Delhi Aerocity before and have always loved the experience. The guys here are great at hospitality and the servers so diligent. The Highway Cuisine was their interesting take on a familiar food style. We look forward to reviewing more such festivals, perhaps some lesser-known cuisine at Novotel New Delhi.