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The Lone Star State is known for fast cars, faster women, and banging barbecue issuing smoke like a Rat Rod on a straight away. What is little known about Texas, is that around 250,000 people of Asian-Indian descent call it home. This sizable population, thriving under the southern sun, is not the usual conception of American-Asian Indians. Jersey, New York, and California are commonly seen as the bastions of Indian culture in the United States. However, the image of Aunties in pink salwar kameez’ shopping for groceries alongside a Cowboy wearing a Stetson and a pearl snap shirt is a reality throughout the larger cities of Texas.
And pretty much smack dab in the centre of Texas lies its capital, Austin - a foodie paradise that highlights the local Indian influence through seriously good meals on wheels. According to The Economist, Austin is home to the “fastest-growing food truck industry in the United States, and the second most food trucks per capita in the nation.” You heard right! Finally, the days of the lukewarm Indian buffet featuring watery Chicken Tikka Masala and Idilis that look like used kitchen sponges will no longer taint the way many Americans conceive Indian food.
With at least 12 popular Indian food trucks in the Austin area, everyone from businessmen to bozos are digging into real Desi dishes at a great price. However, instead of creating a compilation of Austin’s many Indian food trucks, I thought it best to highlight Bombay Dhaba, a family run food truck that, in my opinion, captures the true essence of Texan Indians. How so? Through their spread of hearty dishes that’ll make your gut grumble as earnestly as Oliver Twist’s. I’m talking about sitting under the shade of a Live Oak and digging into Tawa Jalapeno Cheese Roti and Goat Curry. This union of the Texan and Indian palates is right on point. Picking up the tender chunks of goat out of the vibrantly, red curry (whose spice level does everything but pander to those who can’t take the heat) with the Jalapeno Cheese Roti is kind of like eating a curry with a thin quesadilla.
I know that combination may sound strange, but I believe diners’ taste buds will agree that the flavour profile of this dish ain’t nothing but delish. Moreover, their Yellow Dal side is the best I’ve ever had in the States. It cools down one’s palate from the curry and jalapenos, but is also amazing as a stand-alone dish, its full body texture refusing to leak water like the runny goop of a mediocre dal.
As a mixed Indian who grew up in Texas and now lives in India, this food truck makes me giddy with pride. During my childhood, I was often subjected to the not so appealing side of Indo-Texan fusion, especially my encounter with a pasta stuffed dosa. I suppose I was seven at the time, and my underdeveloped mind figured, dosas are tasty...pasta is tasty...this combination must be tasty. Sadly my calculations were wildly off, and sometimes in the deep hours of the night, I still toss and turn at the memory of that undesirable concoction.
However, fast forward to 2017, and Austin serves up some seriously good Indian food, finally pushing past the myopic realm of Chicken Tikka Masala and Gulab Jamun, two great, but constantly overrepresented dishes in the US of A. Moreover, owner Prabhakar Reddy serves up lunch specials, which better represent Indian home cooking, for a price that symbolizes a sincere appreciation of the customer as opposed to the money in their cash register. For just under ten bucks customers can grab a lunch meal with a meat curry, veg. curry, roti, rice, and dessert. Even Popeyes can’t beat that kind of bang for your buck.
Given that Austin has gradually been ravaged by all sorts of hip out-of-towners whose Levi’s are bursting with crisp dollars to spend (eyes on you California), Bombay Dhaba welcomes food lovers from all walks of life eager to dig into some good food free of inflated prices. HG took the time to speak to AP native Prabhakar Reddy. Well, actually we spoke to his good friend and neighbour, as the portly Chef was a bit shy. So he hovered over the goat curry in the back of the food truck while Mr Blah talked game for his bud.
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