A handwritten menu of the day’s specials is taped in front of her. They include chole puri (spicy chickpeas served with puffy fried wheat bread), makki di roti (flatbread made from cornmeal), bhindi (crispy okra in a light tomato sauce), and dal (black lentils). Fresh yogurt is made daily for lassi, a smoothie done sweet with mango or tangy with salt and water. One of the most popular items is Indian instant coffee — beaten with milk, sugar and cocoa to resemble cappuccino.
The building is small, single-story, built of corrugated metal sheets. There are seats for 20. The only advertising is spray-painted on concrete roadblocks in English and Punjabi. Next door is a diner and gas station; the county jail is across the road.
Palwinder Singh orders creamy black lentils, chicken curry and roti, finishing it off with chai and cardamom rice pudding. After 13 hours on and off the road in his semi truck, he leans back in a booth as a Bollywood music video plays on TV.