Kacchi Dabeli

Thanks to my post MBA days in Pune, I got myself acclimatized to the much renowned Maharashtra cuisine and it's street food. Batata Vada, Misal Pav, Vada Pav, Ragada Pattice and Kacchi Dabeli were the ones I cringed for. Everyday in the evening after 6pm, a street food hawker would park his 4-wheel setup outside the Symbiosis Institute and all the students would swarm that place. He did have heavy sales for sure. One of my favorites and thanks to my Marathi friend Shubhangi for introducing me to this scrumptious snack is Kacchi Dabeli. Priced at Rs 4 for a plate of 2 it was a fulfilling snack during my student life. The layers of of flavors and the significant garlic-coriander chutney was outstanding. Revisiting old memories, I tried to recreate the same here. Recipe follows.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
1 pack of Pav
Sev (store bought)
Pomogranate seeds (optional)
Chopped onions: handful
Butter/oil: to toast Pav

Dabeli Masala:
Dry red chilies: 3
Coriander seeds: 1tsp
Cumin seeds: 1tsp
Garam Masala powder: 1/4tsp

Potato filling:
Potatoes: 2 big
Onions: 1
Coriander: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chili powder: 1 tsp (as per taste)
Salt: as per taste

Savoury groundnuts:
Roasted groundnuts: 1 cup
Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch
Chili powder: 1tsp
Oil: 1tsp

Green chutney:
Garlic: 4-5 cloves
Chillies: 3-4 (depends on the heat)
Coriander: 1/2 bunch

Prep/Cooking:
Boil the potatoes, on the side you can dry roast the groundnuts, and start prepping for the dabeli masala. On another pan, slightly roast the contents under the dabeli masala except the garam masala powder. Once cooled down, grind them to a fine powder.

Meanwhile start preparing for the potato filling. Once the potatoes are boiled and cooled, peel them and mash them. In a separate pan, add oil and coat the hot oil with the mashed potatoes, mix in with salt, turmeric, chili powder, dabeli powder and garam masala powder. Mix till well coated for 2-3 mins. Add chopped coriander while removing off the flame.

Once the groundnuts are roasted, add oil to a pan, When the oil is hot, add asafoetida and drop the groundnuts. Now add, the chili powder until the groundnuts are well coated. On the same pan, you may also toast the insides of the pav when you cut it midway in half.

Now assemble: Spread the green chutney on the insides of the pav. Put some potato filling, top it off with chopped onions, sev and roasted groundnuts. You may add pomegranate seeds, (gives that tinge of sweetness against the spicy roasted groundnuts) I skipped here. Its ready to devour.

Bon Appetit!