Place Category: Indian and Outside Dining
Dhaba is a small, family-run Indian restaurant on Main Street in Santa Monica. Located just two blocks from the beach, we have been offering savory dishes and friendly service since 1972.
We serve healthy homestyle regional cuisine, including our family’s traditional recipes, with many vegan choices and many gluten-free choices!
Ask your server for the daily farmer’s market vegetable specials.
Customer favorites include tandoori chicken tikka and tandoori salmon.
The breads we serve are made from scratch in-house, cooked to order.
We use natural antibiotic-free chicken, as we take pride in cooking dishes from scratch using quality ingredients.Beverages include wine, beer on tap, traditional homemade yogurt shakes (lassi), homemade masala chai.
Come and enjoy the warm and welcoming ambience of our dining room or relax on a summer evening in our garden patio.
Dhaba Cuisine of India Dinner Menu
Menu and prices subject to changeAPPETIZERS
(V) Indicates Vegan Dishes
(G) Indicates Items With GlutenCOMBINATION PLATE 12
Samosas (G), Pakoras and Handwa served with house chutneysSAMOSAS (V) (G) 6
Spiced turnovers with potato, peas & carrots served with house chutneysPAKORAS (V) 6
Savory potato fritters in a garbanzo batter served with house chutneysHANDWA/CORNBREAD 6
Organic cornmeal, zucchini, carrots & sesame seeds with house chutneysCORN ON THE COB (V) 6
Farmers’ market corn roasted over open flame, spiced with lemon & chiliBOMBAY BHEL (V) 6
Puffed rice, crisp garbanzo noodles, red onions and cilantro with tart tamarind chutney and spicy mint chutney (available gluten free)SEV ALOO PURI (V) (G) 6
Savory potatoes on flour crisps with garbanzo noodles & tamarind chutneyALOO TIKKI CHAAT 9
Savory potato patties with channa masala, yogurt and house chutneysTANDOORI CHICKEN TIKKA 14
Served with bell pepper, onion, pineapple, raita and choice of Naan (G)TANDOORI SALMON 16
Served with bell pepper, onion, pineapple, raita and choice of Naan (G)TANDOORI SHRIMP 16
Served with bell pepper, onion, pineapple, raita and choice of Naan (G)
SALADS
GREEN SALAD (V) 10
Organic baby greens with mango-balsamic vinaigrette & KachumbarTANDOORI CHICKEN SALAD 14
Organic baby greens with mango-balsamic vinaigrette & KachumbarTANDOORI SALMON SALAD 16
Organic baby greens with mango-balsamic vinaigrette & KachumbarTANDOORI SHRIMP SALAD 16
Organic baby greens with mango-balsamic vinaigrette & Kachumbar
THALI: A TRADITIONAL COMBINATION DINNER
Includes Kachumbar, Dal of the day and Brown or Basmati Rice
Add Naan (G) Plain, Garlic or Onion, or Roti (V, G) for $1VEGETARIAN THALI 17
Choice of any vegetable entrée and vegetable of the dayCHICKEN THALI 19
Choice of any chicken entrée (ABF) and vegetable of the dayLAMB THALI 22
Choice of any lamb entrée and vegetable of the daySEAFOOD THALI 22
Choice of any seafood entrée and vegetable of the day
VEGETARIAN ENTRÉES
À LA CARTE HALF 10 / FULL 14
(V) Indicates Vegan Dishes
Ask us about our locally sourced Farmer’s Market Specials of the Day!GOBI ALOO (V)
Cauliflower and potato with ginger and cumin seedsBAINGAN BHURTA (V)
Broiled eggplant sautéed with onion, tomato and gingerSHAHI PANEER
Paneer (farmer’s cheese) in a mild cashew nut cream currySAAG PANEER
Paneer (farmer’s cheese) in a fresh spinach-garlic curryMASALA PANEER
Paneer (farmer’s cheese) in a sautéed onion-tomato curryCHANNA SAAG (V)
Organic garbanzo beans in a fresh spinach-garlic curryALOO METHI (V)
Potatoes in a light curry with fenugreek, ginger, onion and tomatoALOO SAAG (V)
Potatoes in a fresh spinach-garlic curryVEGETABLE KORMA
Cauliflower, carrots, green beans and peas in a cashew-cream curryCOCONUT VEGETABLES (V)
Above vegetables in a South Indian curry with fresh coconut and cilantroCHANNA MASALA (V)
Organic garbanzo beans in an onion and tomato curry with ginger
CHICKEN ENTRÉES
À LA CARTE 16
Natural and Antibiotic Free Chicken (ABF)TANDOORI CHICKEN TIKKA
Marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic and green chiliTANDOORI TIKKA MASALA
Chicken Tikka in a sautéed onion-tomato curryCHICKEN CURRY
Chicken prepared in a onion-tomato curryCHICKEN KORMA
Chicken in a cashew nut cream curryCHICKEN SAAG
Chicken in a fresh spinach-garlic curryCHICKEN VINDALOO
Hot and Spicy! Chicken curry with tamarind-vinegar sauce
LAMB ENTRÉES
À LA CARTE 19
MASALA LAMB
Lamb in a tomato-onion curry with garam masalaLAMB SAAG
Lamb in a fresh spinach-garlic curryLAMB KORMA
Lamb in a cashew nut cream curryLAMB VINDALOO
Hot and Spicy! Lamb curry with tamarind-vinegar sauce
SEAFOOD ENTRÉES
À LA CARTE 20
TANDOORI SALMON
Salmon marinated in yogurt, ginger and garlic; broiledMASALA SALMON
Salmon in a tomato-onion curry with garam masalaCOCONUT SALMON
Salmon in a South Indian curry with fresh coconut and cilantroTANDOORI SHRIMP
Shrimp marinated in yogurt, ginger and garlic; broiledMASALA SHRIMP
Shrimp in a tomato-onion curry with garam masalaCOCONUT SHRIMP
Shrimp in a South Indian curry with fresh coconut and cilantro
BREADS FROM THE TANDOOR
NAAN (G) 3
Plain, garlic, or onion naanROTI (V) (G) 3
Whole wheat unleavened bread
RICE DISHES
BASMATI RICE (V) 5
Steamed aromatic rice from IndiaBROWN RICE (V) 5
Steamed long grain brown riceVEGETABLE PILAF (V) 14
Basmati rice, assorted vegetables & toasted almondsCHICKEN PILAF 16
Chicken with basmati rice pilaf & toasted almondsLAMB PILAF 18
Lamb with basmati rice pilaf & toasted almonds
ACCOMPANIMENTS
DAL OF THE DAY (V) 8
Lentil, yellow, black or green mung bean, with ginger, onion & tomatoRAITA 6
Yogurt with mint, shredded cucumber and roasted cumin seedKACHUMBAR (V) 6
Salad of diced cucumber, tomato, onion & cilantroPAPPADS (V) 2
Cumin spiced Indian lentil wafers roasted on open flameCHUTNEY (V) 2
Choice of:
Sweet and sour mango chutney (Major Grey’s)
Traditional spicy pickle: mango, lemon, chili in oil
Cilantro-mint chutney
Sweet and sour tamarind chutneyCHUTNEY SAMPLER (V) 6
Any Three of the above chutneys
DESSERTS
MANGO ICE CREAM 6
A Dhaba specialty: homemade mango ice creamSTRAWBERRY ICE CREAM 6
Homemade farmer’s market strawberry ice creamKHEER 6
Rice pudding with sliced almonds, raisins and saffronCARROT HALVAH (V) 6
With cardamom, almond milk and coconut butter