Between 2018 and 2019, I’ve spent a total of eight incredible weeks exploring the country of India. It’s a land that is rich in history, culture, languages, and a seemingly endless variety of cuisines. Come along with me and my new friend Afzal as we enjoy some famous Assamese food at a roadside dhaba on our way from Sivasagar to Jorhat!
After spending a remarkable day exploring the historical capital of the Ahom Kingdom, Sivasagar, my friend and I stopped by Dhaba Nilkantha to eat some famous Assamese food! This dhaba is famous for its duck, so I couldn’t wait to try it!
A dhaba is a roadside restaurant along a highway that caters mostly to truck drivers. There, you can usually find a mix of different types of Indian food from all over the country. This dhaba is located about midway between Jorhat and Sivasagar.
First, we needed to wash our hands. Always keep your hands clean when you’re in India, especially when you know you’ll be eating with your hands. We were taken to a private dining room and started with some beers.
The restaurant is made up of a big dining hall and private rooms for eight people. It was pretty cool!
The beer we had was a pretty strong Danish beer. They were 650 mL, so almost two pints. They’re huge! Then, after a toast, it was time to eat!
We started our famous Assamese food feast with some pork fry, which is similar to pork rinds or chicharron, which came with onion and chilies. It was crunchy, tender, fatty, and juicy. The chili was super spicy, just the way I like them! I loved it!
Next was the Upper Assamese Thali, which contained eggplant, potatoes, green beans, rice, two dals, salad, potatoes with nuts, lemons, duck fry, chicken curry, and a mix of nuts.
The nuts were really hot and nutty! Then I went with the eggplant, which was phenomenal. I love eggplant! Then I tried the famous duck fry, which came in a nice, dark, blackish-brown gravy. It was bony, so I had to be careful. I had to eat around them, but it was very tasty.
I could tell it was organic because, while there wasn’t much meat on the bones, it was super buttery and delicious. Even better, there was only one bone in each piece of duck, so it made it easier to eat! It had a texture and flavor that reminded me of liver. This famous Assamese food was amazing!
Then I dug into the tiny potatoes, which are unique to Assam. I hadn’t had them anywhere in India. Next was the orange dal with rice, which I ate with my hands. It was really tasty and a little sweet. Then I tried the potatoes with nuts with the rice, followed by an herb chutney with bamboo shoots that was incredibly spicy!
I love the food in India. It is so diverse. The foods I tried in the northeast were completely different from the fare in other parts of India. It’s one of my favorite things about the country! There’s always something new to try, and this famous Assamese food was really hitting the spot!
Next were the green beans, followed by the chicken curry, which had a rich, brown color. I broke it and got rid of the bones and dug in. It was incredible! The curry was light on spice but full of flavor. Then I went with the yellow dal, which I mixed with the rice. I liked this dal better! I was super light and soupy!
The great thing about the rice is that it’s local. Even though I’d eaten way too much, I couldn’t help but go back in for more duck curry. Another thing to remember: It’s OK to lick your fingers in India. While other cultures may frown upon it, it’s perfectly fine here!
What a fantastic feast! I definitely overate, but I still had room to wash it down with some beer! Our total came to 1,350 rupees, or roughly $20 U.S. Then it was time to hit the road and continue our journey back to Jorhat!
I hope you enjoyed coming along for my famous Assamese food feast at Dhaba Nilkantha! If you did, please give it a thumbs up and leave me a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food content!
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