Dabeli

Kutchi Dabeli

A signature street snack from the Kutch region of Gujarat, dabeli layers a warmly spiced potato filling with sweet tamarind-date and tangy chilli-garlic chutneys inside a toasted pav bun, finished with a generous crust of sev, peanuts and ruby pomegranate seeds.

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

6 pav

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •6 whole pav buns, soft Indian dinner rolls, slightly stale works best
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes, waxy, boiled and mashed
• •3 tbsp dabeli masala, Kutchi blend of coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and chilli
• •2 tbsp neutral oil
• •1 tsp cumin seeds
• •1 medium onion, finely chopped
• •2 tbsp tomato puree
• •1 tbsp tamarind-date chutney (meethi chutney), see sub-recipe below
• •1 tbsp red garlic chutney (lahsun ni chutney), see sub-recipe below
• •1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
• •1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
• •100 g (3½ oz) sev, fine or nylon sev, plus extra for serving
• •60 g (2 oz) roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
• •1 medium pomegranate, seeds only, about 80 g
• •2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• •2 tbsp butter, for toasting pav
• •80 g (⅓ cup) tamarind pulp, seedless, for meethi chutney
• •80 g (⅓ cup) seedless dates, soft, for meethi chutney
• •60 g (¼ cup) jaggery or brown sugar, for meethi chutney
• •1 tsp roasted cumin powder, for meethi chutney
• •red chilli powder, ½, for meethi chutney
• •6 cloves garlic, for red chutney
• •15 g (1 tbsp) red chilli powder, Kashmiri preferred, for red chutney
• •60 ml (¼ cup) water, for red chutney

Steps

1. 1 Make the meethi chutney: soak tamarind pulp and dates in 120 ml hot water for 15 minutes. Blend until smooth, strain, then simmer with jaggery, cumin powder, chilli powder and salt for 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Cool completely.
2. 2 Make the red garlic chutney: blend garlic, red chilli powder, salt and 60 ml water into a smooth, pourable paste. Adjust water for a thick-but-spoonable consistency.
3. 3 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
4. 4 Add chopped onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
5. 5 Stir in 3 tbsp dabeli masala and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. 6 Add tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the oil begins to separate at the edges.
7. 7 Add the mashed potatoes, salt, 1 tbsp meethi chutney and 1 tsp red chutney. Mix thoroughly and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is dry and holds together when pressed.
8. 8 Stir in lemon juice and chopped coriander. Taste and adjust salt and spice. The filling should be punchy and a little sharp; this is the flavor of Kutch.
9. 9 Slice each pav horizontally, keeping one side attached like a book. Spread a little meethi chutney on the bottom half and red chutney on the top half.
10. 10 Spoon 3-4 tbsp of the warm potato filling onto the bottom half of each pav.
11. 11 Press the pav closed and roll the stuffed sandwich in sev so that the filling seals and the outside is coated with sev.
12. 12 Heat 1 tsp butter on a tawa or skillet over medium heat. Place 2 stuffed pavs seam-side down and press gently for 2 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp.
13. 13 Flip and toast the other side for 1 minute. The pav should be warm all the way through and the filling piping hot (above 75°C / 165°F internal).
14. 14 Transfer to a plate, top with crushed peanuts, a handful of pomegranate seeds and extra sev. Serve immediately while the bun is crisp and the filling is hot.