By Akshara
October 8, 2026
Bring an iconic Gujarati street food twist to your Navratri 2026 fasting feast with this sabudana dabeli. Instead of bread buns, this recipe uses pan-seared sago and potato patties as a sturdy base, stuffed with a spiced sweet-and-sour potato mixture. Garnished with roasted peanuts, pomegranate seeds, and fresh coriander, it delivers the exact sweet, tangy, and crunchy profile of traditional dabeli while strictly observing vrat guidelines.
1 cup sabudana (sago pearls), soaked for 4 hours and drained  3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed  2 tablespoons water chestnut flour (singhara atta)  1 tablespoon pure ghee  1 teaspoon cumin seeds  1 tablespoon homemade dabeli masala (roasted cumin, coriander, red chilli, and cinnamon)  2 tablespoons sweet tamarind-date chutney (vrat-friendly)  2 tablespoons roasted peanuts  2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds  Rock salt (sendha namak) to taste  Fresh coriander for garnish
Mix the soaked sabudana, half of the mashed potatoes, singhara flour, and rock salt together in a bowl, then shape into thick flat discs to serve as the dabeli buns.
Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, the remaining mashed potatoes, dabeli masala, rock salt, and tamarind chutney, sautéing for three minutes to make the spicy dabeli filling.
Pan-fry the sabudana buns on a hot griddle with a little ghee until both sides turn golden brown and crisp.
Slice each warm sabudana bun horizontally, stuff generously with the spicy potato mixture, roasted peanuts, and pomegranate seeds, then garnish with fresh coriander before serving.