HUNGRY I

Zipping on the NH-8 is fun, but it could be a problem if you've a hungry-for-burger-but-pizza-will-do kid at the back. Once you're out of Gurgaon and away from Haldiram's and McD, the only place you could grab some grub to his/her liking is at Bahror Mid-Way. But that, too, would be Maggi noodles! How amny sandwiches can a kid have? I leave that between you and your kid. If lucky, the closest to burger you can get is paav-bhaaji. Or wait till you hit Jaipur. In case, you're taking the bypass, God save you. As for us grown-ups, there are enough dhabas serving some good Rajasthani khana on the way. In fact, Bahror even has a watering hole with kababs...But boss, better avoid getting drunk while at the wheel. As for Rajasthani dhabas, please please stay away from dal-baati-churma combo. It's pathetic. We don't care what they say about Rajasthani food being incomplete without the famed trio. It's, however, interesting to know thaat it started as a picnic food. For the unitiated, here's the dope: it consists of baatis or flaky round breads baked over firewood or over kandas (i.e. cow dung cakes) as done in villages. Baatis can be baked in a gas tandoor or an electric oven as well. Bafla or steamed baatis are also very popular.
But one thing common for baatis, irrespective of their cooking technique is that they are always served dipped in ghee (yuks) accompanied with panchmel or panch kutti dal and churma.
The dal is cooked with ghee, the masalas in the dal are fried in ghee and more ghee is mixed into the dal before serving.
Often a large batch of baatis is made and part of the dough is left unsalted. This unsalted dough is then shaped into rounds and deep fried in ghee. Later, these deep fried baatis are crushed and sugar or jaggery is mixed into them to make a sweet dessert- churma. Honesty, we don't know what ghee is being used at the dhabas. Makes sense to stick to gatte ki subzi, roti and lahsun ki chatni (yum).