Dabeli is a desi street food with pav buns, a popular snack in India. It has a spicy potato masala stuffing and many elements, making it tempting and addictive!
This Indian snack can be prepared with less effort and hygienically at home. Recipe adapted from here.
Dabeli, actually originated from Kutch, regional food at Gujarat, but widely available in most of the north Indian states. So it is also called Kutchi dabeli too.
It is also known as double roti. I have recreated this in my own style with available ingredients here. Traditional recipe may vary.
It’s quite a process but worth to try a new cuisine. Perfect for get togethers and parties as well.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This snack needs some planning and preparations to make it easy. Chutneys can be made prior and refrigerated.
Though everything from sev, pav buns and dabeli masala can be homemade, I used store bought.
But have also given the recipe to prepare homemade ones.
- Pav buns
- Potato
- Pomegranate
- Peanuts
and more. See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Lehsun chutney
This is a raw one that can be used for such chaat items, sandwiches, wraps too.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Garlic
- 6 Dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon Kala namak (Black salt)
- ¼ teaspoon Bhuna jeera powder (roasted cumin seeds, powdered)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Soak red chillies in hot water for 30 mins. Mean while peel garlic and gather other ingredients.
Place everything in blender and little water. Grind to smooth paste. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
According to your spice level/ chilli variety you can increase or decrease the numbers. Mine is medium spice chilli.
You can also add a dash of sugar to balance the taste.
This can be kept in fridge and used for 10 days.
Dabeli masala in Singapore
I got mine online from a Maharashtrian online shop called Sushaadi. Please Google to find the shop.
You can also prepare at home. Below are the ingredients needed for homemade dabeli masala:
- 6 Red Chillies (Kashmiri/ Degi mirch)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame
- 2 tablespoon Dry Coconut
- ¼ cup Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Cinnamon, small
- 1 Star anise
- 2 Cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Black Salt
- 1 teaspoon Amchur Powder
- 4 tablespoon Sugar (Mix later)
- 2 tablespoon oil (Mix later)
Instructions for homemade dabeli masala:
- Slightly dry roast the above items.
2. I added roasted coconut later.
3. Roast until golden and flavorful (Cumin just starts to crack). Cool down completely.
4. After that, add black salt, amchoor powder
5. Grind together to a powder.
6. Mix sugar and little oil to resemble wet sand. I used pulse option in mixie to mix.
7. Store and use this from 1 month to 3 months in fridge and use as needed. Gives approximately ½ cup masala.
My notes
The potato masala’s taste fully depends on the Dabeli masala you use. So choose a good quality one.
Homemade is very flavorful.
I use scrapped coconut, but traditionally thin grated coconut is used in street shops.
Have seen some shops even using apple or pineapple in place of pomegranate.
I initially thought there is green chutney element in this, but it is not always used. But while serving Aj, I used it as well.
Video
Is video more your thing? Watch the dabeli recipe video in my Youtube channel.
Storage
The Dabeli spice mix can be stored up to 3 months in fridge. The chutneys can be made well ahead too.
After assembling, it is best to serve immediately as there are many crisp factors like peanuts and sev.
Top tip
Please take a note of the number of servings and adjust measurements as needed for your family.
The masala peanut may be on stronger side, but it goes well together with the dabeli.
While making dabeli masala at home, use degi mirch or Kashmiri chilli for bright color. You can use red chilli powder as well along with amchoor, instead of using whole ones.
Related posts
Recipe card
Dabeli Recipe | Popular Indian street food
Ingredients
- 12 Pav buns
- 3 Potato
- 3 tablespoon Dabeli masala Recipe above (Store bought also can be used)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ cup sweet chutney
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
- Salt oil as needed
Masala peanut
- 1 cup peanuts Heaped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 teaspoon dabeli masala
- ½ Lemon
To serve
- Garlic chutney Recipe above
- Sweet chutney
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ cup Pomegranate
- ½ cup Nylon sev
- ¼ cup coriander leaf
- Butter as needed
Instructions
- First let’s prepare masala peanuts for this snack. Take a pan and heat in low or medium flame.
- Add oil and other spice powders.
- Mix well carefully without burning it.
- Add peanuts to this and toss well.
- Once all are evenly coated, keep aside.
Prepare stuffing
- Cooking potato:
- Wash potatoes firstly and cut into 4. Add water enough to immerse it. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- Once done, peel off the skin. Mash well and set aside.
- Heat a pan with oil. Temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. In goes the dabeli masala.
- Stir on low heat. Pour the sweet chutney.
- Add mashed potato, required salt, red chilli powder, water.
- Mix well, continue cooking.
- After 5-6 minutes, it becomes thick, homogenous mixture.
- Switch off flame, add coriander leaves.
- Spread over a broad plate. Layer it with coconut, pomegranate, coriander leaves.
Assembling
- Gather all ingredients needed.
- Slit the pav buns, leaving it intact at one end. Smear generous amount of sweet chutney.
- Over that, slather the potato filling we prepared.
- On top of it, sprinkle some masala peanuts and chopped onion.
- Again top it with sweet chutney. Spread lehsun chutney on the closing side of the bun.
- Close it to cover.
- Heat a pan with a teaspoon of butter in low heat. Toast all the sides including the masalas exposed on the sides.
- No need to cook for too long, but just for few seconds each side.
- Dip the masala sides in sev to cover it.
- Dabeli ready to enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I had no idea how a Dabeli masala would taste, so for trying I bought this ready made dabeli masala. I then made homemade masala using the ingredients in the pack as well as from the recipe source.
Stepwise photos
1. First let’s prepare masala peanuts for this snack. Take a pan and heat in low or medium flame.
Add oil and other spice powders.
2. Mix well carefully without burning it.
3. Add peanuts to this and toss well.
4. Once all are evenly coated, keep aside.
Prepare stuffing
Cooking potato:
1. Wash potatoes firstly and cut into 4. Add water enough to immerse it. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Once done, peel off the skin. Mash well and set aside.
2. Heat a pan with oil. Temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida. In goes the dabeli masala.
3. Stir on low heat. Pour the sweet chutney.
4. Add mashed potato, required salt, red chilli powder, water.
5. Mix well, continue cooking.
6. After 5-6 minutes, it becomes thick, homogenous mixture.
7. Switch off flame, add coriander leaves.
8. Spread over a broad plate. Layer it with coconut, pomegranate, coriander leaves.
Assembling
- Gather all ingredients needed.
2. Slit the pav buns, leaving it intact at one end. Smear generous amount of sweet chutney.
3. Over that, slather the potato filling we prepared.
4. On top of it, sprinkle some masala peanuts and chopped onion.
5. Again top it with sweet chutney. Spread lehsun chutney on the closing side of the bun.
6. Close it to cover.
7. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of butter in low heat. Toast all the sides including the masalas exposed on the sides.
9. No need to cook for too long, but just for few seconds each side.
10. Dip the masala sides in sev to cover it.
11. Dabeli ready to enjoy!
My long time wish/ project Dabeli is done! I have more Dabeli masala and chutneys, this weekend sure will repeat it 🙂
Leave a Reply