Kutchi Dabeli / Indian Street Food

Kutchi Dabeli is a famous street food of India, originating in the Kutch region of Gujarat and dabeli means pressed in Gujrati language, hence the name. It is spicy snack made by mixing boiled potatoes with a dabeli masala and putting the mixture between pav (burger bun) and served with chutneys made from tamarind, date, garlic, red chilies, and garnished with pomegranate and roasted peanuts.
Source: Wikipedia

This is a lip smacking and irresistible snack is easily available in most cities of India at a very affordable price . I would have never thought of making this dish at home if i was in India. I had made this dish at home from scratch(home made Dabeli masala, Sev , Chutneys and even Pav) when i was in Penang :)

If chutneys are prepared in advanced , making this yummy snack at home is not at all difficult. It is loved by all age groups and can be served at kitty parities, kids get together or any such gatherings or just like an evening snack to satisfy ones spicy tangy cravings !!

Ingredients: Makes 6 dabelis
For Dabeli Masala:

• 2-3 Red Chilies
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp  Fennel Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Hing/ Asafoetida powder
• 1/4 tsp Aamchur powder / dry Mango powder
• 4-5 black Peppercorns 
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 inch piece of Cinnamon/ Dalchini
• 1 Star Anise

   For Masala Peanuts:

• 1/4 Cup roasted Peanuts
• 1 tsp red Chili powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste   

For  Potato Filling:

•  4-5 Potatoes(boiled, peeled and mashed)
•  2 tsp Dabeli masala
•  2 tsp Dates and Tamarind Chutney
•  2 tbsp Oil
•  2-3 tbsp masala Peanuts
•  2-3 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
•  2-3 tbsp Nylon Sev
•  1/4 Cup fresh scrapped Coconut
•  1 medium Onion finely chopped
•  2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh Coriander leaves
•  Salt

  For serving:

•  6 Bun Pavs
• 1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds 
• 1/4 cup Nylon Sev
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
• Masala Peanuts as per need
• Dates and Tamarind Chutney as per need
• Green chutney as per need.

Method:
For Dabeli Masala

• Dry roast all the ingredients listed under Dabeli Masala except the hing powder and Amchur powder individually and grind it to a powder using a grinder. Add the hing powder and amchur powder to the powder and mix well.  Can store this dabeli masala in air tight container in fridge for further use or use it in other curries.

For Masala Peanuts:

• Toss the roasted peanuts with red chili powder, salt and Sugar . Add lemon juice and mix well. Keep aside.  

For Potato Filling:

1. In a frying pan heat up oil on medium flame and add the Dabeli Masala and Dates and Tamarind chutney to it. Stir fry for a minute or so and then add the boiled mashed potatoes to it. Mix well . Add salt and cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes and put off the flame. 

   2.  Let the mixture cool down and then spread it on a plate. Layer it with chopped onions, scrapped coconut, sev, pomegranate seeds , masala peanuts and chopped coriander leaves. Filling is ready.

  For Serving:

1. Slice the bun pav from between such that the two parts do not separate out completely. You can either roast the bun on a heated skillet with some butter before stuffing. I have done it afterwards. Apply the dates tamarind chutney on one part and the green chutney on the other.

   2.  Put enough potato filling on the bottom side of the bun. Top it with more coriander, peanuts, pomegranate seeds and sev. Close the bun. Repeat the same for rest of the buns.

  3.  Heat up a skillet or tava and melt some butter on it. Lightly roast the buns on it from both the sides.

  4.  Enjoy the delicious Kuchi Dabeli with your family and friends !!

                             

   For more similar recipes and savoury snacks do check my posts on

• Paneer Lollipop
• Chili Paratha
• Missal Pav
• Bhakarwadi
• Masala Papad
• Vegetable Momos
• Paneer Tikka
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Soychunk Manchurian
• Baby Corn Pepper Fry
• Broccoli Cutlets

Khajur Imli ki Chutney / Dates and tamarind Chutney Recipe

Dates and Tamarind chutney is known as Khajur Imli ki Chuney in Hindi and is a very popular Indian dip which goes well with almost all the chat dishes. In fact one cannot imagine an Indian chaat without this lip smacking dip. It is made using Dates, Tamarind and Jaggery and seasoned with Salt and Chili powder. I generally make this chutney in bulk as it has a shelf life of about 1 month when refrigerated and also because this is the only chutney my son relishes with almost everything from Parathas to Sandwiches:)

Sweet , sour and a bit spicy in taste, this chutney is an essential accompaniment to most of the chaat dishes like, Bhel Puri , Kuchi dabeli , Dahi wada, Samosa, Kachori, Dhokla, Dahi papdi Chat, Ragda Pattis. Pani puri and many more. Iron rich Dates and Jaggery add sweetness to the dip and compliment very well with the tangy Tamarind.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup (200 grams) Dates/ Khajur  
• 1/2 Cup Tamarind /Imli
• 1/2 Cup grated Jaggery/ Gur
• 1 tbsp red Chili powder
• 1 tbsp Cumin Coriander powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean and deseed the dates and soak in hot water for 10 minutes.

    2.  Grind it in a grinder along with the water to get a thick paste.

   2. Add Tamarind to 1 cup water and let it cook for 10 minutes. Let it cool down, mash and strain the pulp and keep aside. I used tamarind pulp , so just soaked in warm water and strained it.

   3. In a heavy bottom sauce pan take the Date paste and strained Tamarind pulp with 2 cups of water and let the mixture boil. 

  4.   Now add the grated Jaggery and cook the mixture on low to medium flame for 8-10 minutes or until the desired consistency is attained. 

  5.  Season the chutney with Salt , Red chili Powder and Cumin Coriander powder , mix well and give it a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more and put off the flame.

  6.    Fill the Khajur Imli chutney in a clean dry glass bottle and refrigerate .

   7.  Enjoy the sweet and tangy chutney with chaat of your choice .

                              

  For more recipes of accompaniments do check my posts on

• Schezwan Sauce
• Garlic Chutney
• Spicy Raw Mango Pickle
• Green Chili Pickle

Baingan Bharta / Wangyacha Bharith / Indian Fire Roasted Eggplant Recipe

Baigan Bharta referred to as Wangyacha Bharith in Marathi is a delicious Indian style eggplant recipe in which the Brinjal is roasted directly on open flame till the skin is charred. The soft flesh underneath is scrapped , mashed and then cooked with the sauteed Onion and Tomatoes and seasoned with Salt and other aromatic spices to give a lip smacking dish. Goes well with any Indian flat bread like Chapati, Naan or Paratha.

This is basically a North Indian dish but it is prepared and liked all over India with few variations. Here i am sharing the recipe we cook at our home. It has curry leaves, Onions, Tomatoes , Green chilies and Coriander along with the Eggplant. Addition of peanuts adds nice nutty flavor and crunch to the bharta. Roasting the Brinjal on open flame infuses smoked flavor to the dish. The cooking method is a bit messy but the end results are worth the efforts.

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 medium sized Brinjal ( approx 500 grams)
• 1 large Onion fined chopped
• 1 large Tomato finely chopped
• 2-3 green Chilies chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 inch Ginger grated
• 1-2 sprigs of Curry Leaves
• 1 tbsp Peanuts
• Fresh finely chopped Coriander leaves to garnish
• Oil 3 tbsp
• Pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds.

Method:

1. Rinse the Brinjals and pat dry. Grease them with 1/2 tsp Oil and roast on open flame till the skin is nicely charred from all sides.

     2.  Place the roasted brinjals in a bowl of water. This step helps to remove the charred of peel faster from the Brinjal.

     3. Remove the peel and place the soft flesh of eggplant on a plate and mash well with a fork.

     4.  In a pan heat up remaining Oil , add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the Cumin seeds followed by Asafoetida, Turmeric powder and curry leaves. Now add the Peanuts, shallow fry them nicely .

    5.  Add the minced garlic and grated Ginger. Saute until raw smell goes. Add the chopped Onions and saute them until translucent. Add Tomatoes and stir fry the mixture for 1 minute or so on medium flame followed by addition of the mashed Eggplant flesh.

   6. Mix well and season the mixture with Salt and Red chili powder, followed by addition of Cumin Coriander powder  and Garam Masala. Mix well and cook for another 1 minute and put off the flame.

  7. Drizzle lemon juice and garnish with finely chopped fresh Coriander leaves. Serve with Chapati,  Plain Paratha or Stuffed Paratha.

  For more recipes of side dishes do check my posts on

• Pindi Chole
• Broccoli Stir Fry
• Besan Wali Bhindi
• Karela Stir fry
• Kadhai Paneer
• Dal Makhani
• Palak Paneer
• Kashmiri Dum Aloo
• Paneer Makhanwala

Dates , Almond and Walnut Milk Shake / Healthy Winter Breakfast Recipe

By mid-November the Northern India is in the grip of cold weather and here in Gurgaon frosty breeze of winter has already started knocking on our doors. Such chilling mornings demand for a well balanced and filling breakfast to provide the required warmth and energy to kick start the day with.

I usually make Dates and Nuts Ladoo and Dry Fruits Ladoo which serve as a grab-n-go healthy breakfast snacks during winters . I had seen my friend Shalaka using dates in the milkshake and was tempted to try out one for myself. The dates milk shake was a hit at my place . Since then this has become one of our favourite winter breakfast drink and a sufficing fasting food during vrats(fasts). Have tried adding different nuts to this milkshake which give it a nice nutty flavor and crunch . Dates being natural sweeteners, no extra sugar is required. Banana also blends well in this milkshake.

Lets have a quick look at the ingredients of this healthy and nutritious drink.

Ingredients: (1 Cup = 250 ml )

• 3 Cups Milk 
• 7-8 Dates
• 5-7 Almonds
• 4-5 Walnuts 

Method:

1. Soak the Dates and Almonds overnight in water. Next morning de-seed the dates and remove the peels from Almonds. 

  2.  Blend this along with boiled and cooled milk in a blender.

  3.  The above quantity serves 4 small glasses of the milk shake. Garnish with roasted Walnut bits and enjoy !!

For more similar recipes do check out my posts on

• Strawberry Milk shake 
• Dragon fruit and Banana Smoothie
• Masala Doodh
• Rambutan and Banana Milkshake
• Ragi and Chocolate Milk Shake
• Sheer Khurma

Spicy Raw Mango Pickle / Aam ka Achar - Authentic Maharashtrian Style

Raw mango pickle or Aam ka achar is loved in nearly every house hold in India with lots of variation as we move from region to region. The North Indian Aam ka Achar is very much different from the pickles made in Gujarat , Maharashtra or Andhra. The North Indian Pickles are made in Mustard oil and are mostly sun dried. The Gujarati pickle is sweet and sour . As we move towards Andhra, the pickles have more gravy as they accompany the curd rice or other plane rice dishes.

Here i am going to share the Authentic Maharashtrian Style Ammbyacha Lonacha (name in Marathi) recipe. This recipe is close to my heart as this is been passed on to every daughter from her mother from generations in our family and also as none of us dare to modify it even a bit. I have been married for 13 yrs now, and was lucky enough to get my share of Pickle bottles parceled from my Mummy till date and this is my first attempt on this traditional recipe. I had made this pickle 3 months back when i was in Penang , as we used to get raw mangoes there throughout the year.

I have made a small batch of pickle using just 2 large raw mangoes weighing approx 500 grams. If you are also trying for the first time, would suggest to begin with small batch. This pickle is spicy hot , very delicious , is made using home made pickle masala and is a part of our typical Maharashtrian platter. Main ingredients being Mustard seed dal (skinned and split Mustard seeds), red Chili powder and whole spices . This raw mango pickle is made in Groundnut oil. You may use any other refined oil, if you do not have ground nut oil. Goes well with any paratha, naan or plain roti , dal chawal , perfect to be packed in tiffin box with roti subji.

Video Recipe for Raw Mango Pickle

               

Ingredients: 1 cup = 200 ml)

• 2 cups of cut raw Mangoes with skin 
• 3/4 cup of Groundnut oil (150 ml)
• 1/4 cup Salt
• 1/4 cup Red Chili Powder
• 1/4 cup Skinned and split Mustard seeds( Rai dal)
• 2 tbsp of Saunf Fennel Seeds
• 2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Asafoetida (Hing)
• 1 tbsp of halved fenugreek seeds( Methi dal)
• Whole spices ( 2-3  1 inch pieces of Cinnamon stick , 5-7 Cloves, 5-7 Green Cardamom , 5-7 black Pepper corns. 

    Method:

1. Soak the raw mangoes in a bowl of water overnight (for 8-10 hours ). I do not know the exact reason for this, but i guess this is to stop the process of ripening of mangoes after being harvested.  

   2.   Wipe them dry with a clean cloth making sure there is no moisture left on them. The knife and the cutting platform also should be clean and moisture free. Cut the mangoes in half, deseed and further cut them into 1 inch cubes. 

   3.   Take a large clean and dry mixing bowl. Now we have to make layers of all the ingredients in the bowl starting first with Salt followed by red Chili powder , Mustard seed dal , Turmeric Powder, Asafoetida , Fenugreek seed dal , Fennel seeds and lastly the whole spices. The reason behind this sequence of layering is that hot oil will be poured on this masala, so the top most layer will be in direct contact with hot oil, the whole spices, Fennel seeds release nice aroma after coming in contact with hot oil. The red chili powder is saved from getting burnt. 

   4.  Now heat the Groundnut Oil up to boiling point, that is once you see the bubbles coming up , put off the flame. 

  5.  let the Oil cool down for 5 minutes or so , and then with a ladle pour the oil on the layers, starting from centre. 

   6.  Mix the oil very well with the masala using a dry spoon. By this time your whole house will be filled with irresistible aroma of the pickle masala. The masala is ready, but we have to wait for 4-5 hours or if making large batch, preferably overnight for the pickle masala to cool down completely before we add the raw mango chunks into it. 

  7.  Add the raw mango pieces into the cooled pickle masala , mix well . the pickle is ready. Fill this into sterilized , dry jars.

  8.   The oil layer should cover the pickle completely from top, if not, heat some more oil and on cooling add to the pickle jar. This pickle has a very long shelf life, if proper precautions are taken. Ensure you use clean and dry spoon to remove pickle from the jar. In a very humid climate better to refrigerate the pickle. Make sure the pickle jar is covered with a tight fighting lid. This raw mango pickle takes 2-3 week for marination, time needed for the masala to completely incorporate the flavours into mango pieces. But you can always have it immediately to enjoy the raw mango taste.

   9.  Enjoy this delicious spicy Raw mango Pickle with  Stuffed Paneer Paratha , Methi Paratha , Masala Oats , Multigrain Khichadi  or Soybean Chunk fried Rice. For more pickle recipes do check my post on Green Chili Pickle