Dabeli Recipe

Cook potatoes

Place diced potatoes in a pot, cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer 10–12 minutes until tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Temper spices

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds and let them pop (about 30 seconds). Add cumin seeds and let sizzle for 10–15 seconds.

Sauté aromatics

Add chopped green chilies and ginger paste to the skillet. Sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add spices

Stir in garam masala (or dabeli masala), red chili powder, and turmeric. Cook 15–20 seconds to toast the spices, stirring so they don't burn.

Combine potatoes and chutney

Add the cooked potatoes to the pan and gently mash them with the back of a spoon or potato masher, leaving some chunks for texture. Stir in 2 tbs tamarind-date chutney, salt, and chopped coriander. Cook 2–3 minutes until heated through and flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt or chutney (add a touch more tamarind/chutney if you prefer sweeter/tangier filling). Remove from heat and keep warm.

Make tamarind-date chutney

In a small saucepan combine 2 tbs tamarind concentrate or pulp, 1.5 tbs jaggery (or brown sugar), 0.5 tsp red chili powder, 0.25 tsp salt and 2 tbs water. Warm over low heat, stirring until jaggery dissolves and mixture thickens slightly (about 3–5 minutes). Adjust sweetness/tang to taste. Remove from heat and cool. This yields a sticky sweet-tangy chutney for the filling and brushing the buns.

Prepare green chutney

If using store-bought, bring to room temperature. If making fresh, blend cilantro, mint, green chili, lemon juice, salt and a splash of water to a smooth paste. Keep covered until assembly.

Prepare buns

Split the pav buns horizontally leaving one edge intact if desired. Lightly butter the cut sides. Heat a flat skillet over medium heat and toast buns cut-side down 30–45 seconds until golden and slightly crisp. Alternatively, brush with a little of the tamarind chutney before toasting for extra flavor.

Assemble Dabeli

Warm the spiced potato filling if necessary. Spread 1/2 tbs green chutney on the bottom half of each toasted bun and 1/2 tbs tamarind-date chutney on the top half. Place about 3/4 cup of the warm potato filling (adjust amount to bun size) on the bottom bun. Sprinkle roughly 1.5 tbs crushed roasted peanuts, a tablespoon of finely chopped onion (if using), and a tablespoon of pomegranate arils over the potato. Top with a generous pinch (about 2 tbs) of thin sev. Close the bun and press gently so sev sticks to chutney.

Finish and serve

Optional: lightly pan-fry the closed sandwich on the skillet for 20–30 seconds per side to crisp and meld flavors. Serve immediately with extra sev, peanuts, and pomegranate on the side, plus lemon wedges if desired.