Manali Punjabi Dhaba

Up here in Manali, the air is cold even when the sun is out. Our dhaba is near the post office. It’s a simple place with heavy wooden tables. We keep the tandoor burning all day just to stay warm. You can see the smoke curling up against the white mountains. 175131 is a quiet area compared to the main mall road. We get a lot of truck drivers and travelers who are tired from the mountain roads. They want something hot and heavy to eat. We serve big portions of dal and rotis with lots of butter. The kitchen is small but we make it work every day. We have some old blankets kept aside for people who feel the chill. We don't have any music playing. Just the sound of the fire and people talking softly. Sometimes we get a lot of snow, and then we have to shovel the path to the door before we open. The post office workers come by for tea and snacks in the afternoon. We know most of them by name now. It’s a slow life here. We don't rush anything. The food takes time because we make it fresh for every person who walks in. When night falls, the stars are very bright. We close up early because it gets too cold to stay out. We live right behind the shop, so it’s just a short walk to get inside out of the freeze.