Has the coronavirus pandemic disrupted your plan to take that long trip? Is the ongoing lockdown making you crave going off-road? Fret not. If you can’t go to the highway, Rocky, Mayur, Prashant, and Abhinandan — the team behind shows like Highway On My Plate, Vital Stats of India, Jai Hind, and Rocky and Mayur's Food Xpress — will bring the highway to you!

So, here goes the newest offering from Newslaundry: Highway On My Podcast. The creators of the much loved TV travel show revisit their travels across India, sharing stories, anecdotes, trivia, and — for when the roads are open and inviting again — recommendations on food, culture, people, and much more.

In this episode, Rocky, Mayur, Abhinandan and Prashant drive across Haryana, a state famous for its sporting culture. During their journey, they take you to one of the best dhabas in the country, a place in Rohtak where they stopped during most of their travels, and Murthal, which holds a special place for all of them since it’s where the pilot episode of Highway On My Plate was shot.

The team starts from Murthal, which Rocky calls “the first oasis” as soon as you head out of Delhi. They discuss their favourite breakfast: hot parathas and white butter served at Gulshan Dhaba, which Rocky also remembers fondly from his college days. According to the group, the dhabas here serve the best local, seasonal food. Mayur adds that Haryana is also known for its pachranga pickles. Rocky and Mayur also reminisce over fun experiences with Satish, their driver, who made the trip much more enjoyable.

The team then heads to Karnal, where they had their second best breakfast at Zhilmil Dhaba, just opposite the Savoy Greens motel, near the lake. While Mayur remembers enjoying a cup of good coffee there, Prashant remembers that it was here that they came up with the idea of “food quotes”. Rocky shares a few for listeners.

Abhinandan brings up Puran Singh Ka Dhaba, which serves delicious mutton curry and rotis. Many outlets share the same name, but Rocky points out the original Puran Singh Ka Dhaba, saying the best way to find it is to look out for a photo of Rocky and Mayur pasted outside. For Prashant, the food is outstanding but it isn’t a place to linger, due to the sheer volume of customers.

From delicious mutton to a heavy dessert, the gang drives to Gohana where they had their share of jumbo jalebis at Lala Matu Ram Halwai. The team then goes to Palwal where they had a terrible food experience. They were served a “special dish” at a dhaba that looked like a lemon souffle — but wasn’t — and Prashant says it was like “Atithi Devo Bhaago”. The next stop is Panchkula, where they had pretty good food at Pal Dhaba. Rocky was very happy to see a lot of kids and young people out there.

The conversation ends with the gang talking about a wonderful shoot with the Indian armed forces. Rocky says it was absolutely fantastic to get an in-depth look at what the army really does. The armed forces carry a kitchen with them, the stand-out being a bag full of shakkarparas for last-minute protein and energy. Mayur concludes: “If you really want to understand how respectable the armed forces are, you must go and see the conditions they operate under.”

All this and more, only on Highway On My Podcast.

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