Cheese Dabeli – A Popular Indian Chaat loved by all.
I feel if I am asked to exist on Mumbai street food or chaat as it is locally called all my life I would gladly do it. And mind you that is not an exaggeration. The diversity available with this kind of food makes my job all the more easier. So, when a friend sent over some of her homemade “Dabeli” for me to try on I knew I wanted more, and I mean a lot more. That naturally meant I had to make it with a twist “Cheese Dabeli” and post it on the blog which is exactly what I did. I am proud to say it is India’s answer to the burger/sloppy joe’s and packs a lot more punch compared to either of them.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A DABELI???
Now if y’all are wondering what a Dabeli is then imagine a local bread i.e. pav stuffed with delectably spiced mashed potatoes and topped with a bunch of delightful goodies ranging from different chutneys to a crunchy snack called sev to sweet pomegranate seeds. Now if that does not make you drool then I do not know what will.
This dish did not exactly originate in Mumbai but is a gift from our neighboring state of Gujarat and a very tasty one at that. The people in this state are a genuinely warm and affectionate lot whose cuisine accurately reflects their personality. They do not eat a lot of meat, so they have an immense array of vegetarian recipes to choose from with most of the recipes being mildly spiced.
One of my first roomies, when I came to the US, was a Gujarati guy and our friendship which has lasted close to 15 years is still going strong. It should come as no surprise to y’all when I say the friend who sent over the Dabeli to us is also a Gujarati.
Eating that authentic Gujarati Dabeli bought back nostalgic memories of my college days i.e. snacking out with my buddies after college at the local snack shop. Here are some other favorites of mine from those days. PANI PURI and Black Bean Sev Puri
DABELI MASALA.
One of the essential ingredients of this recipe is that typical spice blend or Dabeli Masala which gives the dish its unique flavor. There are plenty of variations of what makes a good blend depending upon the Gujarati household. As for me I was in a hurry to make this recipe so I went to the Indian store and bought a premade one.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE DABELI?
Considering the other flavors that were going to go in the recipe I kept the potato mixture extremely simple with chilies, a tangy dry mango powder and the dabeli masala. Sometimes you do not need to do a lot for the food to taste good.
CHUTNEYS for extra deliciousness!!!!
Now it was time for the toppings to work their magic.
- There was a garlicky tone to the dish due to a garlic chutney
- Then there was something sweet and tangy with a tamarind chutney.
But that is not all since there was nothing crunchy yet. So, in went the masala peanuts (spiced peanuts) as well as the thin sev.
- For all the cheese lovers I added extra cheese as well.
This entire thing is precisely packed in an Indian bread called pav. It is like a dinner roll but made without eggs. It can also absorb the chutneys without turning soggy which makes it an ideal vehicle. Cheese Dabeli is perfect for any party or tiffin box.
I couldn’t wait to dig in and get messy with the toppings all over my face. Wifey prolonged my agony a bit more by making me take pictures first. Finally I got my hands on the Dabeli and my world was instantly a better place.
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Cheese Dabeli – A Popular Indian Chaat
Ingredients
- 5 Russet Potatoes diced and boiled
- 5 Green Chillies
- ½ large Onion diced
- 2 tsp Dry Mango Powder/Amchur Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Dabeli Masala
- Salt
- Pepper
Masala Peanuts
- 1 cup Roasted Peanuts
- ½ tsp Tumeric
- ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ¾ tsp Dry Mango Powder/Amchur Powder
- Salt
- Oil
Garlic Chutney
- 12 Garlic peeled
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt
Toppings
- 1 cup Nylon Sev
- ¼ cup Garlic Chutney
- ½ cup Tamarind chutney
- ¼ cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Cheese
- Butter for toasting
- 6 Dinner roll/Pav
Instructions
Dabeli filling
- Heat butter in a pan. Saute onions and green chillies.
- Add amchur powder, dabeli masala and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add boiled potatoes, salt, pepper and mix. Sprinkle water if required.
- Set aside to cool.
Masala Peanuts
- Heat one tbsp oil in a pan. Toast the peanuts along with the tumeric, red chili powder, dry mango powder and salt. and mix well.
- Garlic chutney
- Blend garlic, lemon juice, red chili powder and salt in a blender until smooth.
Assembly
- Slice a dinner roll.
- On one side spread garlic chutney. Add a layer of dabeli filling and top it with onions, peanuts, sev and cheese.
- On other side apply tamarind chutney.
- Crisp it slightly on a skillet with some butter.
- Serve hot.
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Thanks..
American Cheeseburgers are my favorite food, so I’m sure I would love your Cheese Dabeli recipe! Looks like it’s vegetarian, too!
It sure is vegetarian Fran and packs quite a flavor punch..
Street food is definitely the best — this looks so amazing Rahul!
Couldn’t Agree with you more Michelle..
Ah, Rahul, you’ve invoked memories of enjoying street food in India., but I never tried Dabeli chaat. Then you go and add cheese, brilliant addition. Luckily we have a wonderful Indian market nearby, so souring the ingredient should not deter me from giving this tasty looking snack a try.
You definitely try this recipe.. It stands out among a plethora of street food options in India..
What a fun recipe! I’m with you on the street food. Now I know street food varies from country to country, but in general you can’t go wrong with street food! This is the first I’m hearing of Dabeli, so I’m intrigued. This looks delicious, and I love the story behind it. Well done, my friend!
It is a fun recipe which actually comes from a totally unexpected region of India which adds to the allure of the recipe.. As for street food then I am totally with you on that one. It is well-loved round the world. But especially in India considering the sheer variety of options available to eat..
This Dabeli looks super delicious and now you have me nostalgic about Mumbai..Lovely blog and recipes…great to connect in this common space..Cheers!!
Thanks.. Great to connect with you as well.
Oh Rahul, I have never had anything like this…and loving the sound and the look of this street food. Absolutely tempting…thanks!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
You should try this Juliana.. It is a local delicacy in the western part of India from where I am from. People absolutely go nuts about it..
Loved the cheesy fusion of dabeli. I am craving for it now. There is a restaurant named kutch ki dabeli on my list to go after the pandemic.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will hopefully keep the restaurant name in mind the next time I am in India..
My dream is to go on a long street food focused trip in India. And I would have to add this cheese dabeli to my list. Thank you Rahul for the recipe.
If that’s your dream then you are in for an absolute treat!!!
This looks so good, Rahul! I have never tried it but would love it! Thanks for the inspiration.
Try it if you get time.. You will be hooked on to the recipe for good..
YESSSSS for dabeli anytime. It is one of our favorite recipe 🙂 welcome back rahul…
Mine too.. Thanks Priya
I have a feeling that your pantry looks very, very different from mine! But that’s what makes cooking so interesting. I would love to try these beautiful cheese dabeli chaats.
Ohh yea.. We indians do love a pantry filled with multiple different spices and spice blends. But that’s why cooking is interesting and tends to bring people together. By the way once you try any chaat recipe you are going to be hooked for life..
This looks incredible. I could eat street food like this every day.
Thanks!!!
Street food can be so interesting, can’t it? Case in point, this terrific dish! Potatoes and chillies? Yes, please. 🙂 Excellent recipe — thanks.
Street food is king where I come from.. 🙂 When it is something like this iconic dabeli then it does bring back a lot of memories for me..