By Rittwik Naskar
This street side snack originated in Kutch, Gujarat, and sees potato filling stuffed inside a pav bun, served with an assortment of chutneys and sev. A playful medley of textures and flavours, here's how to make it at home.
1 dry red chili 1 tsp coriander seeds and cumin seeds ½ inch cinnamon 2 to 3 cloves 3 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed 2 onions, finely chopped ¼ tsp asafoetida and salt 4 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney 3 tbsp spicy red garlic chutney ¼ cup grated coconut ¾ cup pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves 2 tbsp oil 4 to 5 buns or pav ½ cup roasted peanuts and nylon sev
In a heated pan, dry roast the red chilli, cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds. Once aromatic, add it to a dry spice grinder and grind them to make the dabeli masala.
In the same pan, add the oil and the rest of the whole cumin seeds and saute till brown. Then add one chopped onion, hing, mashed potatoes, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the dabeli masala.
Remove the spiced potato mix out of the pan and add a tablespoon of the sweet tamarind chutney, ½ cup each of the chopped coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds and mix well.
Toast the pav buns on a hot tawa and apply a teaspoon each of spicy red garlic chutney on one side and the sweet tamarind chutney on the other side.
Fill the inside of the split pav bun with the prepared potato filling, topped with chopped onions, grated coconut, peanuts, pomegrante seeds, and sev.
Serve the assembled dabelis warm and with spicy red garlic chutney and sweet tamarind chutney on the side.