Best of Boston

Essentially a kitchen with a few tables and counters (there’s also a small upstairs dining area), this Inman Square standby puts the emphasis on cooking rather than ambiance—appropriate given that in India, a dhaba is a roadside joint. The Indian mainstays—curries, tandoori, roti—are finely executed, but it’s with the more-adventurous dishes, such as the outstanding lamb karahi—a thick stew with bell peppers, tomatoes, and herbs—that Punjabi Dhaba makes its mark.