Vrushali Kulkarni Negandhi's Kutchi Dabeli Recipe

Kutchi Dabeli is a popular snack food sold on the streets of Gujarat.

Making this yummy snack, which is packed with a slew of flavours and spices, at home is quite easy, says blogger Vrushali Kulkarni Negandhi.

Kutchi Dabeli

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 6 pav or dinner rolls
• 3-4 tbsp dabeli masala powder (please see the recipe below)
• 250 gm boiled and mashed potatoes
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 200 gm masala peanuts (please see the recipe below)
• 4-5 tbsp date-tamarind chutney (please see the recipe below)
• 3-4 tbsp spicy green chutney (please see the recipe below)
• 200 gm nylon sev
• 1 small pomegranate, arils or seed pods separated
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 50 gm butter

For the dabeli masala

• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 dalchini or cinnamon stick
• 5-6 long or cloves
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ¼ cup dhania or coriander seeds

For the masala peanuts

• 200 gm peanuts
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• Pinch haldi or turmeric
• Pinch salt

For the date-tamarind chutney

• 250 gm seedless dates
• 100 gm imli or tamarind
• Pinch salt
• ½ tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
• ½ tbsp jeera-dhania or cumin-coriander powder
• 2-3 tbsp jaggery powder or grated jaggery

For the green chutney

• 2 cups fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1-inch piece ginger
• Pinch salt
• 1 tbsp roasted peanut powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Method

To make the dabeli masala

• Dry roast the red chillies, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds together till they change colour and become fragrant.
• Grind them to a fine powder.
  This masala can be stored in an airtight container and used for 6-8 months.

To make the masala peanuts

• Dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin.
• Mix them with the vegetable oil
  Add the red chilly powder, turmeric, salt.

To make the date-tamarind chutney

• Pressure cook the dates and the tamarind together over medium heat for 2-3 whistles.
  Open up the pressure cooker and cool.
• Grind in a blender/mixer to a smooth paste.
  Strain.
  Add the salt, Kashmiri chilly powder, cumin=coriander powder, jaggery.
  Mix well till the jaggery melts.
• Extra chutney can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To make the green chutney

• Grind the coriander, green chillies, ginger in a blender/mixer to form a smooth paste.
• Add the salt, roasted peanut powder, lemon juice.
  Mix.

To make and assemble the dabeli

• Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai or heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  Add the dabeli masala and roast for a minute.
  Add 1 tbsp water to avoid burning.
  Add the mashed potatoes and mix.
  Add the salt and 1 more tbsp water to make the mixture creamy and light.
  Keep aside.
• Slice each pav in half.
  Spread 1-2 tsp date-tamarind chutney on one side and 1-2 tsp spicy green chutney on the other.
  Add a few tbsp of the potato filling.
  Top with a few masala peanuts, 1-2 tsp chopped onions, 1-2 tbsp nylon sev and a few of the pomegranate seed pods.
• Repeat for the balance pav.
• Warm the butter in a frying pan and crisp the assembled dabelis lightly.
  Garnish with more sev, pomegranate and peanuts.

Note: For Jain dabeli, substitute the onions with 1 cup chopped greens of spring onions and instead of potato use 3-4 boiled and mashed green bananas.

For vegan dabeli, instead of butter, fry the assembled dabelis in oil.

For healthier, low-cal, gluten-free, diabetic diet-appropriate dabelis, choose multigrain dinner rolls or ragi bread and go with green bananas. Skip frying the assembled dabelis at the end. Sprinkle the sev and pomegranate seed pods sparingly or omit.

Most bread or rolls or pav may have a higher sodium content. Opt to make your own pav or rolls from scratch using Georgina Umdor's Bread Roll/Pav [external link] recipe: Mix 450 gm maida or all-purpose flour, 7 gm instant yeast, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 350 ml lukewarm water and knead for 5-7 minutes into a smooth dough.
Cover and allow it to rise for an hour.
Knead again till smooth and divide into 8 round pieces.
Place, spaced out, on a baking sheet to rise for a further 30 minutes. Brush with a little beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 220 ° C for 10-15 minutes or till golden brown.

• RECIPES