Kachhi Dabeli
Kachchi Dabeli, the favorite snack to many Punekars and Mumbaikars. I remember making Dabelis for my husband’s office potluck. Boy! I still get compliments for the Dabelis I made that day. One of my friend, whose husband is an office colleague told her about it and she has been asking for recipe for ages. I finally got time to write it down for her. So here it is, don’t be mad at me K đ
What is Kachchi Dabeli?
The snack Kachchi (Kutchi) Dabeli originated in Kutch region of Gujarat so that justifies the first part of the name. The second part of the name i.e Dabeli means something that is pressed. Kachhi Dabeli is a spicy, tangy and crisp potato filling pressed in soft laadi pav. This street food will get you hooked!
How to make Kachchi Dabeli?
The main part of the process is to get your potato filling right along with the chutneys. The taste of the chutney is crucial. 
To make sweet chutney, you will need 1/2 cup each of tamarind,jaggery, 1 cup water and an inch of fresh ginger. Bring all the ingredients to a rolling boil on medium flame and then let it simmer for 10 mins in order to thicken it.
To make green chutney, grind to a smooth paste some green chilies, coriander, mint, roasted cumin. The consistency of this chutney needs to be runny so that we can easily apply it to the pav.
To make roasted singdana, roast peanuts until crunchy. Do not de-shell the peanuts. To this, add dabeli powder, chat masala and sugar along with a tsp of oil. Mix everything well and you are ready to go!
For potato filling, I have used the russet potatoes, you can use the ones handy! Boiled them until tender and then mashed to smooth texture. Make sure you have no lumps.
After mashing the potatoes thoroughly let’s make the terrific tadka. In a pan, heat butter/oil on a low flame. Once the butter/oil heats, add dabeli masala and chili powder and roast slowly until you get a nice fragrant aroma. to this add finely chopped onions and let it cook until translucent. Cover the pan for quick cooking.
Once cooked turmeric powder, chaat masala and potatoes to the pan. Add little water to this mixture, the potato filling should be soft and pliable and not dry. The water should be just 2-3 tbsp not more. Add salt and lime juice. Mix everything thoroughly. At this point, check the taste and adjust spices if any. This filling is called the Dabeli masala. The Dabeli masala is pasty and flavorful.
Transfer this masala to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coconut, coriander and pomegranate pearls.
Remember that the filling should be slightly spicy and the salt a little more. When this filling is stuffed in pav, the spice and salt level will get balanced.
To assemble:
- Take 1 pav and slit it horizontally.
- Apply green chutney and tamarind chutney to the inside of the pav.
- Add the potato filling to the pav. The thickness of the potato filling should be equal to thickness of the pav.
- After you add filling, add roasted peanuts and finely chopped onions in the inside of pav and close the pav.
- Toast the pav on tawa with little butter on both sides.
- Once lightly toasted, remove from tawa and apply thin sev to the sides of the pav where potato filling is exposed.
- Serve with green and sweet chutney.
- This recipe is usually made for parties and festive season. You can definitely exclude the onions and garlic if need be. The taste and texture remains the same.
- Make sure the Pav that you are buying be soft and not too thick. When you slit the pav, the pav may break if it is too thick.
- The spice level of the final Dabeli depends upon the combination of chutney and potato filling. If you want to adjust the spice level, make sure you add less chili powder to the filling.
Kachhi Dabeli
Ingredients
Sweet Chutney
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup jaggery
- 1/2 cup soaked tamarind
- 1 inch chopped ginger
Green chutney
- 10 green chilies
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch coriander
- 4-5 strands of mint
- 1 tbsp chaat powder
- Salt per taste
Potato filling
- Boil 2 large potatoes 200gms each
- 4 tbsp Badshah Dabeli mix
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
Roasted singdana
- 1 cup peanuts roasted and shelled
- Add 1 tbsp dabeli powder
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
Sweet chutney
- In a pan add water, jaggery and soaked tamarind.
- add chopped ginger.
- Let it cook on low until thick.
- Strain the chutney for tamarind remains and keep it aside.
Green Chutney
- Grind all the ingredients under green chutney. The chutney should be in runny consistency for easy apply on pav.
Roasted singdana
- Evenly roast peanuts on medium flame.
- Mix all ingredients listed under roasted singdana together and keep aside.
Potato filling
- Boil 2 large potatoes.
- Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan and heat for few secs on low.
- Add 1 tbsp dabeli masala and 1 tbsp chili powder to this oil and roast it for few seconds.
- Add finely chopped onion (1/2 onion) and let the onions cook.
- Once onions are cooked, add mashed potatoes.
- To this add 1/4 cup water and mash the potatoes until smooth.
- Add salt per taste and 1 tbsp of chat masala. Remember the salt of the filling should be slightly more.
- Let it cook for 1 min and then turn off the flame. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and mix.
- Adjust the spice level/masala. Make sure the filling should be little spicy because the pav will reduce the spice level when stuffed.
- Transfer this potato filling to a plate and then garnish it with fresh coconut, coriander and pomegranate.
Assembling
- Take a pav, apply green chutney and tamarind chutney to the inside of the pav. One side green, other side sweet.
- Add the potato filling to the pav. The thickness of the potato filling should be equal to/greater than thickness of the pav.
- After filling, add roasted peanuts and finely chopped onions in the inside of pav and close the pav.
- Roast the pav on tawa with little butter on both sides.
- Once slightly roasted, remove from tawa and apply thin sev to the sides of the pav where potato filling is exposed.
- Serve with green and sweet chutney.
Notes
Before you go..
If you try this recipe and liked it, do share a picture with the hashtag #whenchaimetbiskit on Instagram or Facebook. Would love to know what you guys have been cooking 
