Dabeli - Traditional Maharastra Recipe

Dabeli is a street food widely used in all cities of Maharashtra (largest state of India), however you will be surprised to know that Dabeli originated from the port town of Mandvi, in Kutch. Two gentleman Keshav ji Gabba and Mohun Bhai Babaji invented this recipe together.

Today we will see how traditionally Dabeli can be made, right at our home kitchen. So, without wasting much time, Let's Begin.........

 

Ingredients & Steps: 

I have broken down the ingredients and steps in parts, so that it is easy for everyone to make it, because Dabeli has little of lot of things mixed together to form a yummy tasty dish. 

Let us prepare the spices (masala) - first:

 

Heat up a non stick pan.

• Add 1/2 cup coriander seed (dhania)
• Add 2 tbsp cumin seed (jeera)
• Add 1 tbsp fennel seed (sauf)
• Add 4 pieces black cardamon (big elaichi)
• Add 2 pieces star anise (chakra phul)
• Add 2 - 3 cloves (laung)
• Add 10 - 15 black pepper corns (gota / sabut gol mirch)
• Add 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (sada til)
• Add 2 inch cinnamon stick (dal chini)

 

Dry roast them for 1 - 2 minutes over low flame. 

• Add 2 - 3 bay leaf (tej patta)
• Add 2 - 3 dry kashmiri chilli (whole red paprika)
• Add 2 tsp black salt (kala namak)
• Add 2 tsp degi red chilli powder
• Add 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

Roast them for another 1 minute.

Take them out in a bowl and keep it aside.

Now, in the same heated pan.

• Add 1/3 cup of dry coconut (grated kopra)

Roast it over low flame for 2 - 4 minutes.

Empty the contents in the same bowl of spices (masala).

Let everything cool down, before we grind them together in a mixer grinder to get a fine powder.

Once the powdered spices are obtained.

• Add 2 tsp peanut oil
• Add 2 tsp sugar

Mix well and keep. (this will increase the self life of the spices to minimum 6 months if refrigerated properly).

Dabeli masala (spices) are ready. Keep it aside, we will use it later.

Let us prepare the chutney (sauce):

 

Take a bowl.

• Add 10 - 12 kashmiri red chilli (soaked over night)
• Add 10 - 12 garlic cloves (peeled)
• Add salt as per taste
• Add 1 tsp sugar
• Add 1/2 tsp degi red chilli powder
• Add 2 tsp peanut oil
• Add 1/2 cup peanut
• Add water (as required)

Put them in a grinder to get a fine paste.

• Add more water

Make a slurry thin chutney (sauce).

Dabeli chutney or sauce is ready. Keep it aside to be used later.

Let us prepare the spicy peanut (singh dana / mung phali):

 

 

Take a bowl.

• Add 1/3 cup roasted peanut (dry roast / sand roast)
• Add 2 tbsp dabeli masala (spices)

Message, crush and mix the peanut with the masala using your hands. 

Masala Peanut is also ready. 

Let us prepare the filling: 

 

 

Take a bowl.

• Add 3 potatoes (boiled and grated or mashed)

Heat up a pan.

• Add 2 tsp peanut oil
• Add 2 tbsp dabeli masala

Roast for 1 minute in low flame.

• Add Potatoes
• Add water (as required)

Mix and cook well for about 5 - 9 minutes and then let it cool down to room temperature. 

On a different bowl.

• Add 2 onions (medium sized, cut into small diced)
• Add 1 tbsp coriander leaves (fresh, chopped)
• Add 1 green chilli (chopped)
• Add 1 lemon juice.

Mix properly together then mix it with the potatoes, and keep it aside.

Dabeli filling is also ready. 

 

Let us now assemble all this "lot of things" in little, to complete Dabeli recipe.

1. Take the bowl of potatoes.
2. Sprinkle little masala peanuts on top.
3. Sprinkle SEV (yellow non spicy bhujia) on top of the masala peanuts.
4. Sprinkle onion (fine chopped) on top of the SEV.
5. Sprinkle some anar dana (pomegranate seeds) on top.
6. Sprinkle chopped coriander leafs.
7. Take a Pau (Bun Bread).
8. Slit them from the middle.
9. On one side apply little tamarind sauce.
10. On the other side apply little dabeli chutney, that we had prepared.
11. Fill the mixed potato filling in between (spoon full).
12. Paste some spicy peanuts and sev on top of the filling.
13. Heat up a pan with 1 tbsp butter.
14. Toast the assembled dabeli buns from all sides (add more butter - if required or as per taste).

Dabeli is ready.

Hope you all will love this traditional dish, and if you do please follow and subscribe to my blog.