Among the variety of delicious street foods that the maximum city – Mumbai is famous for, a Dabeli is the quickest bite to grab. A mix of sweet and savoury, a Dabeli is a punch of flavours satiating different palates. A Dabeli is a simple power-packed combination of potato masala, stuffed inside a ladi pav sprinkled with an assortment of chutneys, fruits and finishing with some sev. Since a pav is the size of a palm, they are a quick grab at the same time filling the stomach. Believe it or not, Dabeli is an easier snack to prepare in the evening and with cheese it becomes irresistible. Though traditionally people indulge in the goodness of Dabeli as an evening snack, there is no set time to grab a few of these.
From The Land Of Sweetness To The Kitchen
Found famously on the streets of Mumbai, Dabeli may not have been born in the financial capital of India. The word Dabeli comes from the Gujarati language which means pressed down and it is here that the roots of Dabeli are. This popular snack, also famously known by the name of Kutchi Dabeli or Double Roti, originated in the Kutch region of Gujarat. According to historical accounts, this dish is said to have been invented by Keshavji Gabha Chudasama - a resident of Mandvi, Kutch - in the 1960s. Dabeli since the 1960s has been a compulsory mix of spicy, sweet, sour, and crunchy textures all pressed in one pav. While the potato masala, pomegranate, and the sev completed the Dabeli, there is dabeli masala without which it is incomplete. The masala used in this snack is a spicy dry paste usually made from dried red chillies, black pepper powder, dried coconut, salt, clove, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, black salt, and a whole bag of spices. The final touch is the chutneys, both sour-sweet tamarind-date-based chutney and fiery chutney prepared from red chillies and garlic.
And around the time Dabeli came into being, Bombay underwent the split into two states, namely Maharashtra and Gujarat. With this many Gujarati people migrated from Gujarat to Maharashtra bringing with them their extensive sweet and sour palate. Soon, Dabeli became a part of the Maharashtra culture too.
Ingredients:
For the dabeli masala:
1.4 red chillies
2. 1 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1 tsp clove
4. 2 black cardamoms
5. 3 bay leaves
6. 1 tsp saunf
7. 1 tsp black pepper
8. ½ inch cinnamon stick
9. ⅛ tsp hing
10. ½ tsp salt
For stuffing:
1. 1 tbsp oil
2. 2 tbsp dabeli masala
3. 1 tbsp tamarind chutney
4. 2 cups boiled potato
5. ¼ cup grated coconut
6. 1 tbsp coriander leaves
7. ¼ cup sev
8. 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
For assembling:
1. Pav
2. Tamarind chutney
3. Garlic chutney
4. Dabeli masala
5. Chopped Onion
6. Sev
7. Grated cheese
8. Butter
dabeli/ pinterest.com
1. Add all whole spices to a pan and dry roast. Transfer to a blender and grind till fine powder.
2. To another pan add oil, dabeli masala, and sauté till the masala cooks.
3. Then add other ingredients one by one and mix. Keep it aside.
4. Take a pav and slice it in the middle, add all the chutneys, dabeli masala, onion, sev, and cheese. Close the pav.
5. To a pan add butter and toast stuffed pav on it. Serve.
6. The best part about making and serving Dabeli is that not only does it look appealing by the looks. It is also an outburst of myriad flavours in the mouth. At this point, we can only thank Kesha Malam for having come up with a snack that fits exactly well to the appetite.
