AUTHENTIC North Indian restaurant The Dhabba is ensuring its customers stay healthy with its own cheese making facility, the introduction of brown rice, wholegrain roti bread and extra vegetarian dishes on its new traditional menu.
The award winning Glasgow restaurant, which is celebrating its fifteen year anniversary later this year, is named after the wayside diners which dotted themselves throughout the highways and roads of Northern India. It's always offered something a bit different from standard Indian fare and has even made it into the hallowed Michelin Guide alongside its sister restaurant the South Indian gluten free Dakhin, also in Candleriggs. Restauranteur Navdeep Basi who began the business in 2002 said he's always tried to push the boundaries with the food on offer, whilst keeping customers tastes very much at the forefront of his mind.
Navdeep and his chefs who have sourced quality produce from local suppliers make their own in house paneer cheese which is said to carry a whole load of health benefits (see below) and unusual chutneys like apple and ginger and they regularly visit North India to check out the latest dishes.Navdeep who will officially celebrate the restaurants fifteenth year in December said: "In 2002 we were the only restaurant that went against normal British restaurant operations in Scotland and at that time everything we did was completely different. We were the first restaurant to use the Indian name of Murg for our chicken dishes and Gosht for our lamb dishes. Other restaurants tried to copy some of the ideas from our menu but we've always endeavoured to keep ahead of the game."
Navdeep says trends are changing and since a large number of his customers are in the 30-60 year old age bracket he's keen to offer them the healthy dishes they desire.He said: "The high fibre in brown rice and wile grain bread helps digestion, helps to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, blood sugar levels and is a good source of necessary vitamins and minerals. It even helps to control weight.
Because so many people are body and diet conscious we've also introduced a vegetarian street food section to the menu with dishes like Bengun Bharta- large aubergines tandoori cooked and sautéed with onions, tomatoes peppers and peas and Makai Khumb, a mild dish with mushrooms, baby corn tossed with spring onions.
The new menu also boasts Dhabba favourite dum puhkt dishes with ingredients like lamb sealed and practically steamed in the cooking vessel.There's also a new addition of Grilled Scottish Salmon in a red pepper and mustard seed sauce.
Navdeep said: "India now has TV cooking shows and there is fierce competition to come up with something original. My head chef JD Tewari was trained by celebrity chef Imtiaz Qureshi who is now 86 and has cooked on ministerial trips so we really strive for excellence in our cooking."
