Open daily for lunch and dinner, the restaurant attracts tourists as well as Torontonians to sample dishes such as New Zealand lamb tikka with masala sauce, chicken vindaloo, and prawns biryani. "I like to cook very simple but the flavors have to be complex, with many layers," says the chef.
His complex flavors come from marinades made every day with a wide range of spices that Ahluwalia imports whole from India and then grinds, including fenugreek, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and allspice. "Before the food is cooked, the marinade is important. I make it so you can eat the marinade with bread. It's not a dressing - it's a base of food. Still, you want the lamb to taste like lamb. If the marinade is too strong, the chicken won't taste like chicken," he says.
Ahluwalia, 44, took a circuitous path to this successful restaurant, which he's been operating for eight years. Born in Punjab, Ahluwalia studied economics, psychology, law, and hotel management before moving to England to study food service at Thames Valley University in Berkshire. A corporate job in a hotel restaurant brought him and his family to Toronto, where he also worked a stint driving rigs to and from New York State. In 1998, Ahluwalia opened a small restaurant in a Toronto suburb. Great reviews led him to move to this downtown location.
Punjab, in northern India, is a region known for its moderately spicy and thick curries, its use of dairy products, especially yogurt, and for its many breads. Dhaba offers a wide selection of the latter, including garlic or fenugreek naan, whole wheat roti, tandoori naan, flaky stuffed parathas, and onion or paneer stuffed kulchas, made from flour dough. The roti and naan are made in a traditional clay oven known as a tandoor.
