Increasingly, Punjabi drivers are filling the depleting ranks of truck drivers many of whom are leaving due to health problems.Ī pilot study on health and safety for truckers published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that commercial truck drivers have a 50% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to the general population and that 87% of truck drivers have hypertension or prehypertension.Īs a double whammy, South Asians like Sekhon have a four to fivefold higher risk for Type 2 diabetes compared to other Asian migrant groups. Of the 1.5 million truck drivers on US highways, says the Punjab Truck Association, about 150,000 Punjabis work in the trucking industry. Maintaining a healthy glycemic index is key. That makes me happy.“Every day on the road I eat a banana, apple, date, fig, and prunes along with a cup of black coffee with haldi (turmeric),” says Sekhon who includes ginger and vitamins as part of his daily diet. “We have an Indian community who appreciates the authenticity of the Indian food here. So many other Indian restaurants are an American fusion style,” Aggarwal said. He wants to introduce weekly specials and more to-go foods, including burritos, chicken kabob rolls, veggie kabob rolls and Indian street food. When the spread of coronavirus subsides and students return to campus, Aggarwal said he plans to cater even more to the hectic schedules of students and teachers.
He added that in the two weeks before closing March 15, the restaurant had seen “really good” business. He added that he appreciates the warm welcome Aggarwal and his wife provide to guests of their restaurant.ĭespite shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Aggarwal said his restaurant has only seen mild impacts on business, and the restaurant is still open for pickup orders. The naan bread is prepared in the charcoal clay oven right at the time of the order, according to Kalra. “I’m very surprised and happy to finally find good Indian food, located within very close proximity of the campus.” “While authentic Indian food will always be hard to find anywhere outside of India, few restaurants have the ability to maintain a ‘wow’ factor,” said customer Jai Kalra in an email. The most popular dish is the chicken tikka masala and the vegetable masala, according to Aggarwal. Punjabi Dhaba offers an array of Indian dishes, such as vegetable samosa and various masala entrees that come with rice and naan bread of many different flavors. He added that he had always wanted to open an Indian restaurant by campus, as he feels there is a large Indian community with few Indian restaurants around. We use the good spices.”Īggarwal said he opened Punjabi Dhaba on Berkeley’s Southside in order to attract the business of students and teachers interested in Indian food, as the diverse group of customers would help his business. “We put a lot of the spices that some other restaurants don’t. He added that Punjabi Dhaba has an open kitchen so customers can see how the food is made and that cooks add extra Punjabi spices to maintain the authenticity of the food.Ĭustomers “mostly like the Punjabi spices and how the food tastes,” Aggarwal said. Punjabi Dhaba’s menu features a variety of dishes that change every day, differentiating it from other local Indian restaurants, according to owner Vikram Aggarwal. Punjabi Dhaba Indian Eatery, a new restaurant that features authentic Punjabi dishes, opened at 2521 Durant Ave.