Haveli Da Tandoor, which officially opened last November, started as a way to bring Punjabi cuisine to the Hawaiʻi community, according to business owner and retired U.S. Army Captain Manbir Singh Grewal.
“Our business is known for authentic, mouthwatering Indian recipes; we want to be seen as a local hub for Indian food and as a gathering place,” Grewal says. “The name ‘Haveli Da Tandoor’ means ‘the tandoor of the haveli.’ A haveli is a large farmhouse with great food, and a tandoor is the classic Indian clay oven.
“We strive to serve vets and the community with great food and great service,” he adds.
The business offers a variety of appetizers, entrees and combo plates. Popular dishes include wagyu beef samosas ($15), tandoori chicken ($19.50) and butter chicken ($19.50).
The wagyu beef samosas feature crispy pastry triangles stuffed with wagyu beef, spices and peas. They’re served with housemade mint chutney, pineapple chutney and tamarind sauce.
“They’re crispy on the outside and these are all handmade,” Grewal confirms. “The tamarind is a runnier sauce, and we use local pineapple for the pineapple chutney.”
The business’s tandoori chicken ($19.50) is a customer favorite. The tender, bone-in chicken is marinated in spices and roasted in the tandoor.
“For the tandoori chicken, it’s a thigh and a leg (that come in each plate),” Grewal says.
The butter chicken features a creamy, tomato-based curry.
“People love our live tandoor that serves up tandoori chicken and lamb lollis,” Grewal says. “We also have some of the best butter chicken on the island; it stays super tender, due to the way we make it. The recipes are all from women in my family, including my mother, grandmother and several aunties.”
Entrees come with Jeera basmati rice and raita (a creamy yogurt dip seasoned with cumin). The basmati rice includes cumin and onions, according to Grewal.
“Some people just order the rice on the side because they really like it,” he says. “It’s a flavorful rice by itself, and when you mix it with the butter chicken or any of the other dishes, it’s really good.”
Customers can enhance their orders with garlic naan ($5.50) or mango lassis ($7), or creamy mango yogurt smoothies with cardamom and Hawaiian honey.
“Most people get our butter chicken with a couple of the garlic naans,” Grewal says. “At times, we do a stuffed garlic naan that we make fresh. We’re moving toward doing a cheese-based garlic naan.”
The business’s tandoori lamb lollis are not always featured at events; the special often sells out quickly. The marinated lamb loin chops are crisped to perfection in the tandoor. Plates usually include three pieces with rice and bread.
Grewal uses a high-quality, grass-fed lamb to make the lollis.
“I always bring more and more, and I always sell out in an hour, or an hour and a half, after we start (at an event),” he says. “We cut the lamb loins apart and pound them out, then we add a two-step marinade to them.
“The lamb takes about 10 to 15 minutes (in the tandoor),” he adds. “It takes 10 minutes to get it nice and crisp. We pull it out to baste it with clarified butter, so it makes it crispy.”
Vegetarian-friendly options, like chole bhature ($19.50), are also available. This dish features a slow-simmered, spiced chickpea curry, or chole. It’s served with a golden-fried bhature bread and raita.
“It’s a popular Punjabi dish; it’s completely vegetarian, but it’s super filling,” Grewal says.
Customers can currently find the business at various events across Oʻahu, including Wai Kai on Thursdays, What the Truck?! on Fridays, and Village Night Market at Pearlridge Center on Saturdays. The business often posts its schedule for the week on social media.
“Although we are just a truck now, we plan to expand and bring the real Haveli experience to the island,” Grewal says. “We are a veteran-owned business that serves the community; we want to serve delicious Indian meals. We have also been involved in feeding more than 100 people at a time in town. We are here for the people who love our food, but even more importantly, we want to be here for those that need our food.”
CONTACT
Haveli Da Tandoor
haveli-da-tandoor.square.site
Instagram: @havelihi
Various locations
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
