Dabeli is a popular street food that’s available mainly on the streets of Gujarat and Mumbai. It’s a form of Indian Burger that constitutes a potato filling that’s sweet, tangy and spicy. The potato filling of Kutchi Dabeli is prepared with a special masala known as Dabeli masala and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds and masala peanuts (peanuts roasted with spices). The Indian burger buns or dinner rolls are first slathered with two types of sauces or chutneys, namely Dates Tamarind chutney and Red Chilli Garlic chutney. The filling is then inserted in sliced and chutney slathered ladi pav (Indian burger buns) or dinner rolls and garnished with sev (fried gram flour vermicelli). Kacchi dabeli tastes awesome, it’s sweet, tangy, spicy and topped with the crunchiness of the masala peanuts and the juicy pomegranate seeds.
I have explained the steps to prepare the chutneys required in Dabeli and then the Dabeli Masala in separate links shared below.
Refer the link given below for Dates Tamarind Chutney / Khajur Imli Chutney
Refer the link given below for Red Chilli Garlic Chutney
Refer the link given below for Dabeli Masala
Once you have prepared the Chutneys and Dabeli Masala Powder, you can prepare the potato filling and assemble the Dabeli as explained below.
MAKING POTATO FILLING FOR DABELI :
(1) Boil 5 medium sized Potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once boiled and cooled, peel the Potatoes and mash them in a bowl. Add 3 teaspoons of sugar and Salt as per taste required. Mix well.
(2) Heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil in a kadhai / wok. Add 3-4 tablespoons of Dabeli Masala to the warm oil. Sautés for 5-10 seconds and add 3 tablespoons of Dates Tamarind Chutney. Sauté the mixture for 5-10 seconds.
(3) Add mashed Potatoes prepared in step-1 now. Mix well.
(4) If the mixture appears a little dry, then add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well. I did not have to add any water. My Potato filling looked something like this.
(5) When done, spread the Potato filling in a large bowl as shown.
(6) Sprinkle some grated coconut on the Potato filling.
(7) Sprinkle some chopped Coriander leaves on the Potato filling.
(8) Decorate with pomegranate seeds or grapes or both. I did not have grapes at home, so added only pomegranate seeds.
(9) The Potato filling is finally ready.
Now, let’s assemble the Dabeli.
MAKING DABELI :
The main elements for making a Dabeli are :
(1) Ladi Pav
(2) Potato filling
(3) Butter
(4) Grated Coconut
(5) Red Chilli Garlic Chutney
(6) Khajur Imli Chutney / Dates Tamarind Chutney
(7) Pomegranate seeds
(8) Fine Sev
(9) Spicy Masala Peanuts
(10) Chopped Onion
(11) Chopped Coriander leaves
I have a picture that shows all the main elements for assembling a Dabeli.
(1) Place a Pav / Burger bun on a plate.
(2) Slather the Pav horizontally and make sure you don’t slit it all the way through. Just place the slathered Pav on a plate as shown.
(3) Apply sweet Khajur Imli Chutney / Dates Tamarind Chutney on one side of the slice and Red Chilli Garlic Chutney on the other side.
(4) With a spoon take 2 tablespoon of Potato filling and spread it on the slice that has Red Chilli Garlic Chutney.
(5) Sprinkle some grated Coconut, chopped Onion, Peanuts, Pomegranate seeds, Coriander leaves on the Potato filling one by one.
(6) Cover with the other slice of the Pav now as shown.
(7) In the same way assemble one more Dabeli. We have shown two such.
(8) Apply little amount of butter on the surface of the Pav on both sides of each Dabeli.
(9) Now, on a Tawa / Griddle, melt a little amount of butter and roast the Dabeli made from Step-8. Roast both sides lightly and keep aside on a plate as shown.
(10) Take some fine Sev on the same plate. Roll the open sides of the Dabeli on this Sev as shown so that the Sev sticks to the Potato filling seen from the sides of the Dabeli.
(11) Place the two Dabeli after rolling on Sev on another plate.
(12) Decorate with Fine Sev, Onion, Pomegranate seeds and Coriander leaves as shown.
(13) Relish the Dabeli with your loved ones.
