Dabeli

Dabeli

Dabeli reminds me of Ahmedabad, of Jai Bhavani on CG road. Whenever we visit Ahmedabad our standard evening fare is Vada Pav and Dabeli at Jai Bhavani. Soft pavs, slatehered in butter, accompanied by green coriander-mint chutney, with sev, pomegranate..ufffff!!!! Merely thinking about it makes me salivate.

Form Ahmedabad to Leh is a journey of 2110 kilometers. However it is not just the distance which is mind boggling. It is the terrain as you start climbing the mountains and go through the passes. Life changes as fast as the topography. 

Here in Leh we have got used to a difficult lifestyle. Things are not easily procurable and we have to make do with whatever we get. So getting Dabeli here was impossible. The only option was to make your own. My friend Smitha had a craving for Dabeli and it got me thinking. Why not make it at home!!

Make pavs.

Make Dabeli masala.

Have Dabeli!!

Ingredients

For the pav

See the recipe for pav with egg

http://apigeonnapie.blogspot.in/2015/05/dinner-rollspav.html

See the recipe for eggless pav

http://apigeonnapie.blogspot.in/2015/04/homemade-pav-and-bhaji.html

Dabeli masala

1 red chilli

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ inch cinnamon

½ tsp cumin seeds

4 black peppercorns

For Dabeli filling

3 potatoes, boiled, mashed

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, grated

½ cup grated coconut

½ cup chopped peanuts

½ cup pomegranate

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

½ cup sev

For green chutney

1 cup coriander leaves

Few mint leaves

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Pinch of sugar

For red garlic chutney

¼ cup garlic pods

5 dry red chillies

½ tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

For the Dabeli masala

Dry roast all ingredients and grind them to a powder.

For the green chutney

Blend together all ingredients to a smooth paste using a little water.

For the red garlic chutney

Soak the dry red chillies in hot water for 30 minutes. Grind to a paste along with garlic pods, lemon juice and salt.

For the Dabeli filling

Heat some oil. Add the grated ginger nad then the chopped onion. Suate for few minutes. Add the dabeli masala. Fry till the masala seems well cooked. Now add the potatoes, salt and grated coconut. Cook for some time. Switch off the heat. Add the chopped coriander leaves.

Slice the pavs in two. 

Apply green chutney on one half and red garlic chutney on another. 

Spread some potato filling on one half. Sprinkle pomegranate and peanuts on top. Top with some sev. Cover with the other half of the pav. Apply some butter on top of the pav and grill on the tava.