In the segment of Dhaba Trails, we will first go to Murthal, land of most famous dhabas in India by virtue of the fact that they are located right on NH1, the erstwhile Grand Trunk Road. NH1 is the main highway connecting Delhi to Chandigarh, Punjab,Himachal.

We can also call Murthal land of Tandoori Parantha served with dollops of home-made white butter and pachranga pickles sourced from panipat.

My every self drive expedition starts with the candid thought that we  would have delicious parathas at Murthal. I have felt that Murthal’s parathas complements the pleasure of driving beautifully. My any road exploit is incomplete without a stop at Murthal which is around 50KM from Delhi and usually the first pit stop for any one heading north from Delhi. There are myriad 24×7 joints, so no matter when you leave from delhi you can fill your belley with delicious and sumptuous desi food. This dhaba capital of India has numerous Dhabas  and I would list some of the most famous dhabas:

• Ahuja Dhaba: Oldest Dhaba
• Gulshan Dhaba: Highly rated by travelers and foodies alike
• Sukhdev Dhaba: Most talked About Dhaba at Murthal
• Pahalwan Dhaba; My Personal Favorite
• Jhilmil Dhaba

They first become popular among truck drivers and eventually grabbed the fancy of the travelers. They all started as road side dhabas serving ghee fried Parathas but Delhi-Chandigarh’s health conscious people have made the dhaba owners to offer Tandoor variants some 15 years back and since then Tandoor Paratha is all we get here. To complement mouth watering Parathas, do indulge in Tea or Lassi also. As the Haryana is the land of Milk, so Tea, Curd, Butter and Lass served at these dhabas are the epitome of yumminess.

We can call them most advanced dhabas of India, where you can enjoy your food amidst hygiene and cleanliness and still can see your food cooked in pseudo-covered kitchens. All are vegetarian only and all are almost same as far as Parathas are concerned. They have almost every variety of Paratha in their list, from aalu, gobhi, pyaz, gobhi, you name it they have it. And they also take a good care of your any special demand and customize accordingly. Their professionalism has a better tinge of warmth of being Indian. They usually serve food with heart which makes coming to Murthal a worthy experience each time.

My personal favorite is Pahalwan Da Dhaba which is located just after crossing the Murthal fly-over on the left side on our way to Chandigarh from Delhi. It is not at all what a dhaba should looks like, with SUV’s and cars and Royal Enfields parked around, the place certainly has a unique but rustic charm to it. The place is so deliciously smelling that it increases hunger multifold. The dining hall is huge and they have separate Air-conditioned room as well.

You may get good Parathas at many places but the experience of having Parathas at Murthal is legendary. So next time you plan to head north from Delhi or plan to have a dhaba outing, just drive towards Murthal. You won’t forget the experience and will come back with a tale to share.