A longtime Indian restaurant in southwest Bakersfield is marking more than 19 years in business, serving a menu built on traditional cooking methods and what the owners describe as healthier ingredients.

Punjabi Daba, located at 9450 Stockdale Highway, started as a food truck before moving into a brick-and-mortar location. The restaurant is owned by Balvinder Singh and his wife, Mansi Tiwari.

KBFX DVR_WINDOW

Singh said the business began as a retirement venture focused creating healthier dishes. “We started for our health,” he said. “So this is like a retirement, and we cook with mustard oil.”

He said the restaurant keeps the menu limited but focuses on quality. “We don’t have, like, tons of choice, but whatever we have, we make it to the best,” he said.

Singh added that the naan is made without yeast or soda, and that the restaurant offers “a pure vegetarian” naan made with “yogurt and the buttermilk.”

Singh also described a key technique he said is essential to Indian cooking: caramelizing ingredients to concentrate flavor, a process he referred to as “tadaka.” “If you don’t do that, the flavor will not come,” he said. He said the same approach is used for sweets and curries, including caramelizing milk into khoa for desserts and caramelizing onions and tomatoes for savory dishes.

Among the dishes highlighted at the restaurant were Roti and Dhal Makhni, Saag with cottage cheese, Chicken Tikka Masala made with white meat, Butter Chicken made with dark meat, Chicken Tikkia, and desserts including Carrot Halwa and Gulab Jamun. The restaurant also serves Samosa Chaat.

Punjabi Dhaba is currently open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. most days, Singh said, but the restaurant is closing on Wednesdays because it does not have enough staff.

KBFX DVR_WINDOW

Singh said he values the relationships built through the restaurant and the repeat customers who return year after year, including visitors from the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. “We are happy,” he said. “My retirement is going better. I meet different people every day.”

He said customers have told him the food has stayed consistent over time. “They gave us the comment, the food is same way. Nothing is changed. We like it to hear it.”