Khanabal is the road junction immediately west of Anantnag where the Srinagar-Jammu highway meets the road south to Verinag and Jammu. For most travellers this is where they pick up or drop off transport, but it is a busy market town in its own right, with tea stalls, dhabas, and apple wholesalers thick along the highway.
Stop for breakfast or a chai if you are passing through early — the dhabas here are honest and cheap.