Dabeli is a sweet,spicy and tangy snack made by mixing boiled potatoes and dabeli masala, which is then sandwiched in between pav or bun, served with garlic and sweet chutney and garnished with pomegranate, peanuts, onions and sev. It is very popular street food in Gujarat, a state in western India. People of this region, Gujaratis like their food to be spicy and sweet. So, most of the dishes have some kind of sweetener either sugar or jaggery. In dabeli, spiciness comes from Dabeli masala and garlic chutney while sweetness comes from sugar and date-tamarind chutney. And the special ingredient of the dish, Pomegranate gives perfectly sweet and tangy balance to it.
This dabeli recipe is really simple but outstandingly delicious. There are many elements in dabeli and you can choose to prepare most of the elements at home as I normally do or get few store bought depending on time and availability. I usually like to make Laadi pav or buns at home as its really simple to make them. You can use slider buns to make mini-dabelis and serve it as an appetizer. You can also use burger buns for this recipe.
Making dabeli masala at home makes tons of difference in taste. I have been using store bought masala, the thick kutchi dabeli paste masala and the dry masala, it always worked. But, once I was out of the packet masala and had no choice but to make it at home. I thought it won’t taste so good but was so surprised when I first took a bit. The taste was actually better and I never bought store bought masala since that day. The whole spices needed for this recipe are basic and making it is really simple. Surely, you can make a bigger batch of it and store it.
It is important to mash the potatoes completely. You can either grate it or mash it. Making potato stuffing takes no time. You can prepare it in advance and garnish with all the topping and set it aside. Do not serve it cold. This mixture has to be little warm or room temperature when you fill it in pav. If you want to prepare a day in advance just don’t add any garnishes. Before serving heat up the mixture and then add all the garnishes.
Garnishes are up to your preference. Some people don’t like to add shredded coconut and onions. But pomegranate and peanuts are kind of must haves for Dabeli. You can substitute masala peanuts with plain salted peanuts. Prepare this whole potato stuffing with garnishes in a flat bowl or a plate. Variety of colors on it makes it look so tempting.
Date-tamarind chutney and Garlic chutney can be prepared in advance and stored in fridge. Some people like to use green chutney too, but I like to stick to traditional way and just use sweet and garlic chutney. I like to toast pav or buns after I fill them with potato stuffing.
Dabeli
Ingredients
For Dabeli Masala
- 2 dried red chili
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
For Masala Peanuts
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp dabeli masala
- 1 tbsp sugar
For Dabeli Stuffing
- 2 medium size potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1 small or 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small or 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2-3 tbsp dabeli masala
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
For Garnishing
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
- 1/2 pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup masala peanuts
- Coriander
For Assembling Dabeli
- Garlic chutney
- Date & Tamarind chutney
- Sev
- Laadi Pavs or Buns
- Butter or oil to toast pav
Instructions
For Dabeli Masala
- Dry roast all the spices in a pan. Let it cool.
- Grind them into fine powder.
- You can also make a bigger batch of Dabeli masala and store it in an air tight container.
For Masala Peanuts
- Roast peanuts in a pan over medium flame. While they are warm add oil, dabeli masala and sugar to it.
For Dabeli Stuffing
- In a pan, heat some oil, add asafoetida and chopped onions to it. Cook the onions for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are softened.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder and dabeli masala to it. Stir in well.
- Add mashed potatoes, tamarind paste, sugar, lemon juice, water and salt to taste. Mix everything thoroughly. Let the mixture cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take it out in a plate(with high sides) or a flat bowl. Let it cool little bit.
- Garnish potato mixture with chopped onions, fresh coconut, pomegranate seeds and masala peanuts. Set it aside.
How To Assemble Dabeli
- Slice the pav open, keeping the base intact. Spread some garlic chutney and date-tamarind chutney on both sides.
- Take a scoop of Dabeli mixture and place it in the pav. Tightly close the pav. Note: You can add more peanuts, pomegranate or onions on top of dabeli stuffing.
- On a hot griddle, heat some butter or oil and roast the assembled dabeli.
- Press prepared dabeli in sev on all the open sides and Serve hot.
