Food & Dining: The Modern Indian Lunchbox
At a time and place when an Indian lunch feels inaccessible, this innovative restaurant offers an easier way to enjoy fresh Indian food at the office.
If you have watched The Lunchbox, the 2013 Hindi movie, you probably remember the recurring scene where a young lad delivers dozens of stainless-steel tiffin boxes from home kitchens to busy offices. The meal arrives warm and fresh each afternoon, and the recipients look forward to the surprises inside—a favorite vegetable curry, a laddu, and sometimes a note from their better halves who made the lunch.
The movie depicts a real-life scenario in India, where it is common to see dabbawallas (also called tiffinwallas) on bicycles, delivering a towering stack of stainless steel lunchboxes called “dabbas” to office workers daily. Think of it as the 125-year-old version of Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. Researchers at The Harvard Business Review and The New York Times have studied this logistical marvel extensively, trying to figure out how they had close to zero error rates long before the technology of modern food delivery apps.
In the U.S., the sprawling cities with busy 12-lane highways and an expensive labor market make such luxurious services—like a homecooked meal delivery to your work—almost impossible. If you work in
corporate America, your lunch break probably involves running to a cafeteria or a fast-food drive-through to pick up a sandwich or a salad. Occasionally, you may go to a restaurant with your coworkers or for a business lunch with clients.
There is also the stigma of bringing food from home, especially when it is something so distinct in aroma and appearance as South Asian cuisine. Warming up your biryani and curry in the microwave in the breakroom at the office is bound to attract some attention. So is unpacking, around your gaping coworkers, two entrees, rice, roti, yogurt, papad, and dessert—the standard fare in a traditional, stainless steel, tiered tiffin box. And finally, considering some things are just not meant to be eaten with a fork and knife, eating roti and sabzi at work with your hands becomes messy!
No wonder many of us end up with bland egg salad sandwiches or bean burritos, even if they don’t satisfy us the same way as chana masala and pulao. We want to give our flavor buds a break from the monotony of the workday, but how?
One fast-casual Indian restaurant in Atlanta addresses this issue. NaanStop, a local fast-casual chain, offers something unique. Along with the traditional catering services, they also serve Indian boxed lunches portioned for one. These are freshly prepared, made-toorder individual lunch boxes containing a well-rounded traditional Indian meal in one box.
[Right] One of Mumbai’s world-famous dabbawallas. (Photo: Joe Zachs, Wikimedia Commons)
I tested out a few boxes for an executive meeting at my home office. We each configured our own meal choices and gave dietary preferences such as vegan, vegetarian, no red meat, gluten-free, etc. When the American counterpart of the dabbawalla arrived with a large insulated hot box, he came inside and carefully placed each lunch box on the table, along with four different condiments: three types of chutneys (sweet apple and tamarind, spicy green chili and cilantro, and delicate coconut and mint) and a refreshing yogurt and cilantro raita.
For entrees, there are staples that one craves on a weekday lunch: homely gobhi and Punjabi dal, healthy grilled turkey kabob, tomato cream-based chicken, and paneer tikka masala. For sides, the samosa is delicious! It is crisply fried and stuffed with a not-too-spicy filling of mashed potatoes and peas. You can also opt for fried Brussels sprouts seasoned with garam masala. Pair them with naan (plain or garlic) or rice (brown or white Basmati). The health-conscious can opt for a carb-free option of a salad. A soft oatmeal chocolate chai-spiced cookie for an afternoon treat is a nice touch. Beverage options include mango lassi and chai (hot or iced). And all this is delivered right to your office!
[Top] NaanStop’s well-portioned boxed lunches include a base, entrée, sides, and a spinach and corn salad.
The individual lunches are laid out in a sectioned plastic thali-style box, so one dish doesn’t mix with another. Everyone around the table gets their own box, so it feels more manageable to enjoy a delicious Indian meal in a corporate American work setting. Plus, the variety of choices makes it easy for each person to opt for a meal based on their preference and avoid excess waste and leftovers from bulk catering.
NaanStop’s well-portioned boxed lunches cost $13.99-16.99. They include a base, entrée, sides, and a spinach and corn salad. They currently require a minimum order of 10 boxes and deliver from one of their three locations across Buckhead, Downtown, and Atlantic Station.
While we may not have any dabbawallas racing through Atlanta’s busy streets any time soon, we have NaanStop’s makeshift boxwalla driving with a hot box to your office.
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer who has traveled to over 100 countries across seven continents, experiencing the world through her palate. She has been named one of the most influential cultural bloggers in the world for her blog Go Eat Give. Find her on social @SuchetaRawal.
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