Have you ever gotten up at 5 am or drove in the middle of a night to have paranthas at a roadside Dhaba? As crazy as it may sound, this is a very normal thing for Delhiites. Consider this as a fetish. But a long drive to Murthal is a go-to thing for every Delhiite in need of a short road trip.
I’ve done it too, and if you find yourself in Delhi for a few days, don’t give Murthal a miss. In case you’re headed to Punjab or Himachal from Delhi, you can take a quick stop at Murthal to devour the delicious Paranthas.
A little background
Murthal is a tiny village in Sonipat, Haryana, located 50kms away from the capital. It borders National Highway 1 and serves as a pitstop for trucks and buses heading to Punjab and Himachal. Therefore, you’ll find several Dhabas lined up by the highway that serves delicious North Indian delicacies at a reasonable cost. With the boom in its popularity, the Dhabas now offer modern facilities and a diverse menu. However, the paranthas remain a staple.
Why the hype?
There are mainly two things that attract people to this place, food and the dining experience. The dhabas offer both outdoor and indoor dining. Moreover, most of them remain open 24×7. The parantha has a unique preparation style. They are baked in a tandoor instead of fried and served with a glass of buttermilk and white butter.
My experience
I first visited Murthal in 2013 with my college friends. Since then, I have been visiting this place on various occasions, exploring different Dhabas each time. Here’s how a Sunday Morning Breakfast Trip to Murthal from Delhi would look like:
5:30 am – Wake up and get going!
If you want to ditch heavy traffic at GT Karnal road, start as early as possible. I woke up around 4:30 am and began my journey at 5:30 as I stayed approximately 80 km away from Murthal. It took us 2 hours to reach our destination. However, the drive was smooth and free of traffic.
7:40 am – Pick the Dhaba of your choice and settle down
As I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of Dhabas, each with a unique quality. If you’re visiting Murthal for the first time, I recommend dining at Pahalwan Dhaba or Amrik Sukhdev. One is a personal favourite, and the other is the most popular Dhaba of Murthal. Since this was our first trip to Murthal, we decided to pick the popular one.
Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba was founded in 1956 by Sardar Parkash Singh and is one of the oldest eateries. I have tried both Paranthas and other North Indian delicacies, and trust me, the food is worth a hype.
8:30 am – Devour the delicious paranthas
You’ll get a wide range of options when it comes to Paranthas, from gobi, aloo to other veggies, depending on the season of your visit. We ordered aloo and pyaaz parantha along with buttermilk. Each parantha came with dollops of white butter (served using bare hands) and pachranga pickles.
Hot tips for your trip
🥘 The evenings are usually busy, and you might have to wait for an hour or so to get a table at these dhabas. In case you have a tight schedule, you can share a table with a stranger.
🚗 No need to worry about parking as all the Dhabas here have a parking facility of great capacity.
✔️ It is ideal to pre-decide the Dhaba that you want to visit to avoid hassle as it is right next to the highway.
🛍️ Stop by the shops at the Dhaba, to buy delicacies from Haryana like Pickle, Marmalade etc.
Famous Dhabas of Murthal
I am sharing a list of a few more popular Dhabas that you can visit in Murthal. These are my recommendation based on my dining experience.
Pahalwan Dhaba
It is known for its quality and hospitality. I visited this Dhaba on my way to Barot in Himachal Pradesh. The outlet is open 24×7 and offers a parking facility. Parantha and Amritsari Kulcha are a must-have. However, they also have South Indian and Fast food.
Gulshan Dhaba
It is one of the oldest Dhabas, founded in the 1950s. The Dhaba offers outdoor seating, valet parking, various shops to keep its visitors engaged and remains open 24×7. Paranthas are their speciality. However, you can also opt for their special thali.
Haveli
A franchise that travelled all its way from Ludhiana to Murthal. Although this place is not a Dhaba yet, I recommend this because of its ambience. It’s a theme-based restaurant that drips luxury from every nook and corner.
I hope this article excites you enough to plan a visit to Murthal! So get your sanitiser and mask ready and head to Murthal for some lip-smacking tandoori Paranthas.
2 Comments
Eating out has become a challenge nowadays with the risks involved.
It is true, but mornings are pretty light. Therefore, social distancing is manageable 🙂