Dabeli or Kutchi Dabeli is a delightful spicy snack originating from Kutch , Gujarat. It is a spicy mixture of mashed potatoes with the important key ingredient Dabeli masala. The mixture also has ingredients like chopped onions, tomatoes, garnished with coriander leaves and lime juice. This spicy mixture is layered with several exciting flavors like grated coconut,pomegranate seeds, chopped onions , masala spicy peanuts , sev and stuffed between a half split smeared layers of paav buns with spicy green , red and sweet chutneys.
Dabeli means pressed in Gujarati and said to have been invented by one Keshavji Gabha Chudasama alias Kesha Malam a native of Mandvi in Kutch.in the sixties.

Now Dabeli is a very popular snack which packs so many flavours and a great hit with street food vendors in almost all regions of North , and Western parts of the country.
The spicy masala with all the garnishings is pressed between two chutney smeared halves of paav buns, / burger buns and pressed gently to keep the fillings intact and served.

My years in Mumbai had captivated me to the street food , called chaat which has many snacks like Bhel, paav bhaaji, sev batata puris, dahi puris, paani puris . Dabeli was my favorite as I felt it had many flavours of all the street chaat snacks in one snack. Very filling and delicious, one need not depend on Pizza or Western Burgers to fill your tummies when you have such amazing Indian burgers and other chaat snacks.

Ingredients:

4 paav buns or as required.
3-4 large potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed well.
2 small onions chopped finely
1 cup tomatoes chopped finely.
1-2 tbsp Dabeli masala powder.
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice.
salt as required.
1 tbsp butter/oil
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves.
1/2 cup pomegranate pearls.
1/2 cup masala peanuts
1/4 cup grated coconut ( optional0
1 cup sev ( nylon and some thicker sev )
Red spicy chutney ( garlic chutney )
Sweet chutney
Green chutney ( coriander leaves, chilli mint )
2 small onions chopped finely for garnishing.
1/4 cup chopped grapes ( either green or purple)

Method.

In a pan add the butter, add the chopped onions, sautee well, add the chopped tomatoes, add Dabeli masala,, let the mixture become soft and cooked, .
Add the mashed potatoes well, add 2 tsp sugar , add more Dabeli masala if needed, add salt. Keep stirring till the mixture appears like a smooth paste.
Add lime juice and remove from flame.

To assemble Dabeli.

Place the masala and potato mixture in a shallow tray or plate, spreading it neatly. Now we need to spread all the other ingredients over as layer one by one.
First sprinkle the masala peanuts all over.
Next sprinkle the grated coconut on top .
Next sprinkle the chopped onions. Next layer with fine sev all over.
Next layer with chopped coriander leaves and layer with pomegranate pearls.Sprinkle the chopped grapes .

Heat the paav buns, split them a bit just enough to stuff with the dabeli masala. Dont split into two , you need to keep them together.
First smear the chutneys inside the paav both sides, then take a scoop of the prepared masala with all the garnishings neatly. Stuff inside the dabeli, sprinkle more sev , coriander leaves and onions. Serve immediately.
Green chutney

( grind below ingredients to make quick green chutney)

1 cup mint leaves finely chopped.
1/2 cup coriander leaves finely chopped.
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp chaat masala
4 green chillies, salt, pinch of sugar and 2 tsp lime juice.
( Onion , garlic may be added) .

Sweet chutney

1 lime size tamrind, 8 dates seedless , 2 tbsp jaggery powdered.
1 tsp ginger powder.
2 tsp chilli powder, 2 tsp cumin powder.
Boil everything in 2 cups water till thickened.

Spicy red chutney ( grind to paste )

10 red chillies
1 small tomato ( optional )
2 tsp cumin seeds
2tsp lime juice.
8 garlic pods ( skip garlic if not preferred)
salt
water 2 tbsp
Dabeli masala powder ( roast and grind to powder)

3 red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds or powder
small piece of cinnamon
2 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of black pepper powder
2 tsp dried coconut powder
salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black salt ( kaal namak)

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