Kutchi Dabeli is a popular Indian Street Food from the state of Gujarat and it’s basically pav stuffed with tangy and spicy potato filling and chutneys. Here is how to make it at home.
Looking for more Street Food Recipes, check them out here – Pav Bhaji, Batata Vada, Ragda Pattice, Aloo Tikki, Samosa Chaat, Jhal Muri, Dahi Puri, and Homemade Bhel Puri.
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About This Recipe
Dabeli, the word itself literally translates to “Pressed”. It is also known as Kutchi or Kachchi Dabeli due to its origin in the Kutch region of Gujarat.
It is basically a pav (bun) stuffed with tangy, spicy potato mix topped with a super delicious dabeli masala, pomegranate arils, sev, and spicy and sweet chutneys.
The tangy and spicy aloo filling complements the pillowy soft pav and the chutneys so well, that you will be addicted to this Gujarati snack. Not only in Gujarat, but you can also find this delectable Dabeli on the street of Mumbai too.
And with its spicy tangy taste and easy process, it has become famous all over India. The Aloo masala can differ from person to person, but the ingredients are almost the same. And believe me, no matter where you eat it, it tastes just delicious.
I simply love this Gujarati Pav dish and It also often gets made at home, whenever we crave for something tangy, sweet, and spicy. You just need everyday ingredients to make this one, so do give this one a try.
Serve this Kutchi Dabeli for your tea time snack with a hot cup of Masala Chai or Filter Coffee.
This Dabeli is,
- Yummy
- Perfect for tea time snacks
- Easy to make
- Sweet, Spicy & Tangy
- A favorite at home
Ingredients
Pav – Whenever I have time on hands, I make Pav at home, as they turn out to be fresh and super soft. But sometimes, I do get the Pav from a nearby bakery to make Dabeli.
While buying Pav, make sure it is fresh. If making at home, you can also make Whole Wheat Pav, for a healthy alternative.
For the Aloo Masala – This Aloo filling is high on flavor! It is tangy, spicy, and sweet all in one. To make the Aloo masala, you will need butter, onion, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dabeli masala, water, mashed potatoes, tamarind chutney, and salt.
Once the masala is cooked, it is topped with coconut, pomegranate, and finely chopped fresh coriander.
Dabeli masala is the key ingredients, that gives this Potato filling a different taste and makes it unique. You can either make the same at home using my recipe or use a store-bought one.
Coconut adds a nice texture, as well as pomegranate, adds a slightly sweet taste in this spicy tangy aloo masala.
For Peanuts – Peanuts are mixed with vegetable oil, salt, and red chili powder to make Masala Peanuts and then added with the aloo masala in between the Pav.
To make this chutney, you will need garlic, red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice.
For Assembling – Now to assemble, apart from the above ingredients you will need finely chopped onions, tamarind chutney, sev, pomegranate, and butter.
Sev is a must for that street style touch, which also adds a nice crunch on the outside. At the end, heat the Pav in butter until the pav is a little crispy from top and bottom.
Step By Step Recipe
For Garlic Chutney, add all the ingredients in the jar of a blender and been until smooth. Add little water while grinding.
For Masala Peanuts, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
For the filling, heat butter in a pan.
Add onion and fry until it turns transparent.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and dabeli masala and fry for a minute.
Now add ¼ cup water and cook the masala for 2-3 minutes.
Add mashed potatoes, tamarind chutney and salt and mix well. Cook for a minute.
Transfer the stuffing on a plate. Top with dry coconut, pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander.
Make cut in the sides of the pav. Slather with garlic chutney and tamarind chutney.
Stuff some potato filling in the pav. Top with some masala peanuts.
Top with onion and more pomegranate seeds.
Press the stuffed pav with nylon sev on the sides.
Heat a griddle and add butter on it.
Roast the stuffed pav from both the sides on low heat until slightly browned. Garnish with fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds. Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make Jain Dabeli, replace potatoes with boiled and peeled raw bananas and do not use onion, garlic, and turmeric powder.
Also, make sure the dabeli masala that you are using doesn’t have any garlic. Skip the garlic chutney and use only tamarind chutney to make the Dabeli.
Peanuts should also be skipped.
To prepare Dabeli Masala, you will need an array of spices, coconut, and oil. This is an easy Dabeli powder to prepare at home and can be stored for a longer time so that it comes in handy whenever you require the same.
To make the Dabeli Masala at home, you can check out my detailed recipe here – Kutchi Dabeli Masala.
Both these street food items use Pav, but are very different from each other. Firstly, while Vada Pav belongs to the state of Maharashtra, Dabeli belongs to Gujarat.
Batata vada prepared with Potato is stuffed inside the Pav along with some dry garlic chutney, whereas Dabeli has a spicy tangy potato masala stuffed inside Pav along with garlic chutney, tamarind chutney, onions, sev, and pomegranate.
While Dabeli is toasted in butter, Pav in Vada Pav is not toasted.
Storage Suggestions
You can prepare the Potato Masala and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, in an airtight container. You can also prepare garlic Chutney and Tamarind Chutney and store them in the fridge.
Whenever you want to prepare it, just cut the Pav from the middle, smear the chutneys, add the potato masala, top with sev, onions, pomegranates, and toast on tawa using butter.
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Recipe Card
Kutchi Dabeli Recipe
Ingredients
For Garlic Chutney
- ¼ cup Garlic (Peeled and Chopped)
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
For Masala Peanuts
- ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts (Slightly crushed)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
For Potato Filling
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ½ cup Onion (Chopped)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ¼ cup Dabeli Masala
- 1 and ½ cup Boiled Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Tamarind Chutney
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Dry Coconut (Grated)
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander
For assembly
- 5-6 Pav
- ¼ cup Tamarind Chutney
- ¼ cup Nylon Sev
- ¼ cup Onion (Chopped)
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
- 4 tbsp Butter
Instructions
For Garlic Chutney
- Add all the ingredients in the jar of a blender and been until smooth.
- Add little water while grinding
For Masala Peanuts
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
For the filling
- Heat butter in a pan.
- Add onion and fry until it turns transparent.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and dabeli masala and fry for a minute.
- Now add ¼ cup water and cook the masala for 2-3 minutes.
- Add mashed potatoes, tamarind chutney and salt and mix well.
- Cook for a minute.
- Transfer the stuffing on a plate.
- Top with dry coconut, pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander.
Assembly
- Make cut in the sides of the pav.
- Slather with garlic chutney and tamarind chutney.
- Stuff some potato filling in the pav. Top with some masala peanuts.
- Top with onion and more pomegranate seeds.
- Press the stuffed pav with nylon sev on the sides.
- Heat a griddle and add butter on it.
- Roast the stuffed pav from both the sides on low heat until slightly browned.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds.
- Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!