The Grand Trunk Road of Sher Shah Suri linked Lahore with Bengal. The northern part of the GTR road or NH1 connects the capital with Attari in Punjab. The highway is home to numerous dhabas and food kiosks that serve some of the most authentic Frontier delicacies.

On a quest to discover signature dishes and secret recipes, Chef Rajiv Sinha along with Anoop Parmar, manager, Dhaba at The Claridges, went on a five-day trip and came back with a treasure trove which is currently being served as a part of ‘Truck along the Trunk’ festival .
“NH-1 is the route that takes you on the classic and most authentic food trail of India. Each dhaba specialises in one recipe or the other, like Chajju ka mutton, Veere da kukkad, Surjit Singh di Amritsari machli or Puran Singh ki keema kaleji, each one has got its own distinctive secret style. The richness of taste is beyond comparison and is enhanced with generous dollops of butter or cream on top,” says Parmar.
Most of these dhabas and kiosks have existed for generations, where the special recipes are handed over from one generation to another.
“In Chajju da dhaba, they cook mutton in a cast iron tawa for hours along with spinach paste, ghee and garam masala. As a result, the mutton imbues the black colour of the iron. But before you start cringing, please understand that the flavour of this dish is unique and mouth-watering,” explains chef Rajiv Sinha.
He feels that in Frontier cuisine, it is the proportion of spices that differs from dhaba to dhaba and from one dish to another. “The khada masala (whole spices) is used in most dishes but while some places use more of clove and mace, another leans heavy on cardamom. Even the utensils used for cooking at times lend that special touch,” explains chef.
The cooking style in most of these places deserves a special mention. “When we visited Surjit Singh da dhaba, we were to try Battaley da Maghaz Masala (lamb brain curry served in a mini bucket). We soon heard a constant tak-tak sound being made in a tawa. Actually the dish is made in tak-a-tak style. After putting onion, garlic and whole spices, the lamb brain was mashed using a ladle constantly to soak in the flavour of the spices and make a paste like texture. Hence, the sound of tak-tak,” explains Parmar.
Similarly, Veera da kukkad tasted different as it was made on a charcoal-based grill. “Many chicken based dishes are made by roasting it on tandoor. But in this dish, the charcoal grill leaves the chicken soft and juicy inside and crispy outside. It is pure magic,” says chef Rajiv. Dishes like Redhi di soya (made like Chajju ka mutton with soya nuggets) and langar ki dal (a simple black dal similar to one served at the Golden Temple) deserve a mention.
To finish the meal, Parmar recommends Roh di kheer. “It is like regular kheer but made in sugarcane syrup. The sweetness is just right, not too much and neither less,” they conclude.

Langar ki dal
Ingredients:
Whole black urad dal 400 gms
Kidney beans 150 gms
Ghee 100 ml
Ginger 300 gms
Salt to taste
Jeera powder 100 gms
Coriander powder 100 gms
Turmeric powder 100 gms
Red chilli powder 100 gms
Garam masala 100 gms
Green chilli 50 gms
Onion 250 gms
Oil 350 ml
Method
Wash and soak dal fovernight, boil it until soft or cooked.
Heat oil in a handi , add sliced onion, sauté till they turn light brown, add chopped green chilli, crushed ginger and continue to sauté for a minute
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder, salt, boiled dal and water, simmer the dal overnight.
Add garam masala, check seasoning, finish with ghee.
Recipe: Chef Rajiv Sinha, Dhaba, The Claridges