Does the Best Indian Food Come From a Truck Stop? 🚛 | Spice Road

What do truckers and tandooris have in common? Actor Rupak Ginn (Royal Pains) travels to the highly-acclaimed Punjabi Dhaba in Bakersfield, California, to find out. He learns about immigrant Balvinder Singh Saini’s journey from truck driver to dhaba owner and is joined by celebrated actor and comedian, Nik Dodani (Dear Evan Hansen, Escape Room).
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More About Independent Lens
Independent Lens is America’s home for independent documentary film. Each week the award-winning series delivers engaging documentaries crafted by the industry’s boldest filmmakers. Independent Lens films have won 19 Emmy Awards, 16 Peabody Awards, five duPont-Columbia University Awards, and have received 10 Academy Award nominations. Independent Lens won the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2022 International Documentary Association (IDA) Award for Best Continuing Series.
#Documentary #PBSShortDocs #IndianFood #SouthAsianCuisine #PBSFood #Dhaba
Featuring
Punjabi Dhaba
All India Sweets & Grocery
Rupali Redd
August Redd
Venkata Chalapathi Samudrala
Balvinder Singh Saini
Mansi Tiwari
Nik Dodani
Host / Producer
Rupak Ginn
Director / Producer
Sami Khan
Producer
Vicky Lee
Executive Producers
Sally Jo Fifer
Lois Vossen
Executive in Charge of Production
Royd Chung
Senior Manager, Short-Form Content
Pamela Torno
Supervising Producers
Susan Cohen
Clare Chambers
Editor
Jaron Henrie-McCrea
Director of Photography
Matthew Garland
Original Music
Alam Khan
Sound Recordist
Veronica Lopez
Post Sound
Michael Gassert
Assistant Camera
Ryan Miller
Colorist
Jeffrey Sousa
Online Editor
Joshua Wilmott
Archival Producer
Adrián Gutiérrez
Archival Researcher
Manuel Martínez
Editorial Consultant
Hena Ashraf
Rupak Ginn Wardrobe
Venk Modur
Archival Footage and Images
VideoLand / POND5
Azurita / POND5
MSPhotographic / POND5
Paramount
The New York Times
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
Karanhjvhh / Wikimedia Commons
Avantiputra7 / Wikimedia Commons
WeAre / Storyblocks
Sergey Gribanov / Storyblocks
CBS
Netflix
Universal Studios
Maplegutter / Wikimedia Commons
Rebooted Mom
Sonja Pauen - Stanhopea / Wikimedia Commons
Flying Fourchette
Kanak's Kitchen
Bureau of Public Roads, United States Department of Agriculture / Wikimedia Commons
Independent Lens Short-Form Funding Provided By:
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Acton Family Giving
Ford Foundation
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Wyncote Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
SPICE ROAD is a co-production of MIRAFILMS, LLC and ITVS, with funding provided by the CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (CPB)
This program was produced by MiraFilms, LLC which is solely responsible for its content.
© 2023 MIRAFILMS LLC. All Rights Reserved.

[@Aspatiaa]

I'm a Korean-American who drove all around Southern California in high school, looking for Indian hole-in-the-wall restaurants that I hadn't tried. Very excited about this series. Subscribed!

[@rupakginn4048]

SPICE ROAD was pure joy to film. Feel incredibly grateful that I got to meet so many outstanding folks and eat some incredible desi delights while I was at it!

[@priscillasong1342]

Will there be more episodes coming? Looking forward to more.

[@SamiKhan-bw4ej]

@@priscillasong1342 Yes! Episode 2 launches July 3rd

[@arvindhmani06]

"No spice"? You're not Indian! Just kidding, lol, really enjoyed the show! Looking forward to more of this!

[@SamiKhan-bw4ej]

@@arvindhmani06 haha, thank you Arvind!🌶

[@abrazilian]

nice job!

[@anshnanavati]

Watching this as an Indian kid going to college in California hit hard. I miss my home and family. Definitely going to visit Punjabi Dhaba sometime.

[@AjitJoshi686]

South Asian is Pakistani word 😂😂😂

[@artistlovepeace]

Of course food is love. People who serve their food share their love for the customer to live another day. Food is love.

[@snow86241]

As a fellow desi that grew up here, I relate so hard to being ashamed of my own culture and trying to hide and distance myself from it every chance I had as a kid. I wouldn't say that I've swung back into it, but I do love the food. I've actually gone vegan and seeing hindu vegetarians now gives me hope that maybe they'll be that much closer to being vegan.

[@snow86241]

@agrafenastepanov9642 I'm not anymore, but as a kid, it was a reason to be ostracized and get bullied for, so all I wanted was to be "normal" and to fit in and be like everyone else.

[@lucascoval828]

​@snow3828 Fitting in doesn't sound unusual.

[@lucascoval828]

​@agrafenastepanov9642 Kids are bullied for all sorts of things. The guy in the video was trying to make it sound unique to him.

[@roshwall]

Embrace the Desi in you🙂

[@ThatGuy-wz3or]

I'm a 50 year old first generation Indian born in America. Trust me I understand, the way things were back then and not wanting to be Indian. It blows my mind how Indian my second generation American born son is and how he now has no reason to hide it.

[@SamiKhan-bw4ej]

What a thrill and privilege to tell this story in SPICE ROAD! And eat some amazing South Asian Food. 😋😋😋

[@tananario]

The guy immediately started code switching when he was around the other Indians. Us Black folks know all about this. 😂😂

[@shawnanderson6313]

lol

[@pierrea3094]

Very cool thank you. I love Indian culture

[@rupakginn4048]

Love hearing that you enjoyed it! 🎉

[@dubya13207]

There’s a great one at a Nebraskan stop too!

[@SamiKhan-bw4ej]

Oh yeah? Where?

[@dubya13207]

⁠Overton, @@SamiKhan-bw4ej…right off I-80. Blink and you’ll miss it…it’s barely even a truck stop (basically a slightly oversized gas station), but it houses Taste of India and is the best-smelling gas station you’re likely to find

[@SamiKhan-bw4ej]

@@dubya13207 Amazing! Season 2 we'll have to go there. Sounds like one I encountered last year near the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan Canada

[@acreag725]

What a great show!! Can’t wait to see where they go the rest of the season!

[@ebony2791]

I love food period! I love lemon pickle, kadhi soup and these chips I saw the little kids munching down on😂

[@rupakginn4048]

Kadhi is amazing!!

[@ebony2791]

@@rupakginn4048 yes indeed! I remembered the Elders calling it Buttermilk soup

[@sayimjustadreamer]

Love this! Yum. Bakersfield is definitely on my travel bucket list now. Can't wait for the next episode!

[@rupakginn4048]

So glad to here that!

[@katerpillar5257]

Thanks for sharing Punjabi Dhaba's story. We were able to enjoy their delicious food yesterday while we were on our way back home. The staff was super friendly and the food was amazing!

[@fahadfaisal7855]

Breath of Fresh Air kind of program. Truly enjoyed it. Can't wait for your next stop. We sure will be visiting this 'Punjabi Dhaba' in Bakersfield...in fact, we've decided already to make a detour and check'em out. Thanks for the presentation.

[@rachelcreagan4647]

Mouth is watering! 😋Well done Spice Road team!

[@rupakginn4048]

Thank you! Sami Khan is an incredible human and director - it took both elements to make this happen.

[@emiliogonzales658]

Awesome show. I wish there was more.

[@rupakginn4048]

Thank you!! Next episode drops July 6 😊

[@tiffanylyman-olszewski7359]

SO excited about this!!!

[@amandaparkerdesign5488]

Love this series!! So well done 😊

[@rbkrishnasarma]

Such a beautiful documentary of a humble Indian Stand being nationally recognized!

[@nicolahutchinson1583]

Loved this episode, can't to see more! 😍

[@rupakginn4048]

Thank you so much! Hope you check out the next episode on July 6.

[@TwoCentsPBS]

This was wonderful to watch! Making us hungry over here!

[@khan0890]

Aw that means so much! You all are amazing, we’re avid fans of TWO CENTS!

[@rupakginn4048]

Thank you!! Really appreciate it. Y'all have an amazing channel!

[@chefdougy]

when I was hitchhiking across America Punjabis truckers always picked me up lol

[@dhruvshah1549]

Fondly remember eating at this dhaba while I was travelling via Bakersfield!! Good old days!

[@holg3070]

I love this series!

[@TemujinScott80]

This was great!

[@gargigolhar2886]

I kind of flipped when the kind fellow brought Samosa Chat 😊

[@sinshamsh11]

There is an Indian truck stop restaurant on the south side of Indianapolis. Very unassuming place in the middle of a parking lot. The chana saag was delicious. I got it with some chai and naan. So good!

[@briansmith8629]

Please continue this process!!!!

[@sansinutube]

An interesting factoid about the notorious curry smell that makes Indians the target of many racist jokes, and even attacks - the curry smell is mainly caused by a spice called "asafoetida" (Indian name "hing"). It is notorious because during cooking with asafoetida, the smell permeates through the house and sticks to cloths, carpet, upholstery, bedsheet, giving the house the maligned curry smell, that most non-Indians and also many Indians hate. But once the cooking is done, the flavor that asafoetida adds to the food takes it to another level. So PSA for fellow Indians: if you use hing in your cooking, make sure to put all exposed clothes, bedsheet, etc in the laundry after cooking is done, and rub baking soda into your upholstery and vacuum it up, because even if you cannot smell it, others will, even days later.

[@thesaini]

Mr. Ginn, just a correction on @2:47 Its Mr. Balvinder Singh Saini (pronounced "Say-knee" and not "Sigh-knee"). I am sure as a kid, you would appreciate if folks pronounced your name correctly. So would Baluji or as he would have introduced himself in English being Punjab as a young kid "myself Balwinder, Balls to you ;-)"

[@poisonapple6138]

Okay now we need an episode comparing Indian cuisine to Romani cuisine.

[@victormanuellguz-man3783]

Same 💩

[@tenzinthinley8764]

I drive through Bakersfield a lot from home in Bay Area to business in Las Vegas. Always want to stop at this place but after long drive you want to have convenience of rest room which i read this place doesn’t provide. So i stop at Taste of India at Buttonwillow

[@chanelmawahkg3411]

Wao nice Indian food

[@amandeepdroid]

They have good food 👍👍

[@talli456]

very nicely prepared video

[@twobitsmickeymouse3439]

I love to make daal

[@striker44]

Go to temples and gurudwaras for prasad.

[@varjunind1]

Had similar food in frenso too

[@susanhabkirk2689]

Please if you could do me a solid and send me a list of the important sauces to buy I have a great deal of the spices if you get a chance I'm so glad I found your channel. not indian just love the food

[@PradeepRaajkumar1981]

There are lot of SOUTH INDIAN Cuisine - TELUGU, TAMIL, KARNATAKA and Kerala Cuisine..

[@Jenvlogs404]

Thanks for mentioning its history and how it is related to the motherland because in my war torn area there’s an insuIt related to dhaI but bet after learning history and how ancient, they’ll try to claim it but don’t even represent 1% of it in the cuIture, that’s why please protect ancient roots or identity as a priority and always targeted even after being humble or not eating meat or believing in all and truly innocent, it’s even oldest recorded globally.

[@AS42515]

Extra ginger extra garlic beef biryani is what you gotta cover next or juiccccy beef burgers american style wow will be nice.

[@plrt6794]

Although I suspect the Indian food I get has been ‘Canadianized’ I love it! Would like to try real Indian without it being modified to our tastes.

[@lucascoval828]

To summarize the beginning of the video: "Feel sorry for me."

[@PradeepRaajkumar1981]

You must check out SOUTH INDIAN Cuisine Bro... BOLLYWOOD HINDI and Butter chickeb BREADS thats not the INDIA... I am an AUSTRALIAN Tamil South Indian who lived in Melbourne,VICTORIA - 2007 to 2019.. The Euro and Western immigrants for generations think INdia based on the Capital and HINDI Language. North India - Bollywood- Hindi- Punjabi CUISINE is not what the Western WOrld THinks... This is not the only INDIAN FOOD here... 1 cuisine for the western world... Whatever you had the western known North Indian Punjabi Cuisine.. There are lots in California and New York- South Indian Cuisine.. Please do try South Indian cuisine in the US India has Hindi.. its spoken mostly in North India.. Bollywood is only known for any Indian movie.. RRR movie is from South India.- Telugu State. Lot of Tamil and Telugu Migrants for generations in the US We got 29 languages with 30 to 40 dialects in 29 states from North to South India. India is Unity in Diversity.. Please do check out about RRR movie about SOUTH Indians AR RAHMAN about Tamilnadu. LOTS Of BRITISH history in SOUTH India - Exclude Pondy- Pondicherry- French Territory and GOA Portugal territory. 1. Tamilnadu- Tamil is the language- CHENNAI Capital.. BRITISH History- GOOGLE - Madrasapattinam in WIKIPEDIA.. Liverpool AMY Jackson was our star in this Movie Debut then she went to MUMBAI- North India- Bollywood.- HINDI region... But each state has it own Language - TAMIL CUISINE 2. Telugu Language Land- 2-a Telangana- Capital Hyderabad & Andhra Pradesh- Capital Vijayawada- SPLIT Recently... TELUGU CUISINE 3. Kerala - Malayalam- the land where you had been already.. But plan and come - Westerners are attracted to Kerala and Chennai. KERALA CUISINE 4. Karnataka - is the land of MYSORE King and TIPU SULTAN.... - KANNADIGA CUISINE AUSSIE Tamil SOUTH INDIAN who lived in MELBOURNE VICTORIA- 2007 to 2019 .. CURRY is a mixture of MEDICINAL SPICES not THE HEAT RED CHILLIS and GREEN CHILLS... Cheers from #pollachi #coimbatore #tamilnadu #SouthIndia

[@princeniloy2975]

At least print out a menu instead of just handwriting it 😂😂😂

[@kumartamil6]

Our south indian food is completely different

[@artistlovepeace]

Anyone here know Chiru? Chirunjavi? Chiranjeevi?

[@SidTheAnimator]

Instead of focusing on food and speaking about food it would have been nice to see some cooking action. And too much of lecturing in the middle. I never comment like this badly to any channel but when I saw the tittle and the image I thought we gonna see some real food being cooked and tasted. Instead it seemed like a podcast. Waste of time.

[@kingkumar1]

Anything in good light is SOUTH ASIAN and everything bad is INDIAN nowadays in west or as they try to portray

[@horrnett]

eating dal makhani with a spoon is such an insult to the dish.

[@raxapatel3762]

Your can do this

[@vikramrao6391]

Pure BS. Im a trucker, Indian food in these places cost more than what it would cost in Manhattan or San Francisco and the quality is mediocre at best. Theyre unhygienic and slow. I get you need to make this series and make it look good, but that has been my experience at every Indian roadside restaurant between the east and west coasts

[@jilljane1569]

This host is trying way too hard to the point of being cringy with some of the things he says 😅

[@KPDroid]

Promoting Punjabi food and तृतीया orders Dal Makhni with spice level zero which says it all about the presenter hos choice of bland taste and he should instead stixk to Mac & Cheese 🤣

[@raxapatel3762]

Yes our food is 😋 sexy with flavor

[@ketangadgil8749]

South Asian...South Asian....There is nothing called South Asian. Looks like PBS wants this. From parts of Afghanistan to Burma, from Kashmir to Sri Lanka...everything is Indian food.

[@reign4life]

no spice lol wut

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

Eat ITC Daal Bukhara. It’s the best in the universe. Better than anyone’s mom’s version.

[@subus7263]

there is no south asian. Only Indian

[@SJ_new]

Haha india is in south asia and whole ocean is named after it and all the remaining south asian countries are in that indian ocean

[@GTR-93]

BOLLYWOOD ISN'T INDIAN CULTURE

[@xenon6947]

Worst background music

[@wallacestanley8750]

P r o m o s m 💕

[@septemberkozicki7264]

I am so sad that Indian children felt ridicules for their native diet. I wish there had been an Indian classmate to befriend and learn from and share with. Of all ethnic foods Indian food is high amongst my favorite. I am so intrigued in learning more amazing dishes and recipes. For someone who is not Indian I incorporate Indian Cuisine into my/sometimes our menu weekly++. Please continue to share, maybe add or link recipes for we who never had an issue with what anyone else chose to eat. I have learned so much from @rainbowplantlife, Rainbow Plant Life. Nisha shares fabulous recipes. My family enjoys them so much. What I am meaning is I truly appreciate Indian food, I am learning, I am vegan and please help in further learning how prepare and enjoy the awesomeness that is Indian Cuisine. And so much more.. 16:09

[@tragicallyhoney]

Because it smells

[@lucascoval828]

It's called fitting in.

[@AntiJihadi]

U need to come to India to have real Indian food, these Indian restaurants and food trucks cant deliver the magic....been all around the US and nothing really satisfied me that was sold in the name of Indian food in the states.

[@jayfloramusic]

I'm so glad I moved to the US at 21, and that too to California. I can't relate to not being proud of being Indian. But yeah my cousins who grew up in Cali did have the same inferiority complex. I have a daughter now, but growing up in Silicon Valley, I don't see her getting inferiority complex now in 2023. Times have changed and the perception of Indians too.