Make authentic Kutchi Dabeli at home with this flavorful homemade Dabeli masala recipe! Easy to prepare, aromatic, and perfect for your favorite street food.
If you’ve ever tried Dabeli, you know it’s a delicious street food from the Kutch region of Gujarat. This popular Indian snack is made with a spicy, sweet, and tangy potato filling, stuffed into butter-toasted buns, and topped with chutneys, crunchy sev, pomegranate, and peanuts. But what makes Dabeli so special? It’s the Dabeli Masala!
While you can find Dabeli Masala in Indian stores, making it at home is definitely worth it. Freshly ground spices bring out a rich, warm aroma and depth of flavor that store-bought versions just can’t match.
If you’re looking for the complete Kutchi Dabeli recipe, check out my full post on Dabeli for step-by-step instructions.
Table of Contents
What is Dabeli Masala?
Dabeli Masala is a dry spice mix made by toasting and grinding whole spices. It’s a key ingredient in the mashed potato filling for Dabeli, adding warmth, sweetness, smokiness, and a bit of tang.
The best part? You can make a big batch of it and store it in the fridge for months, ready to use whenever you want to make Dabeli!
Why Make Dabeli Masala at Home?
- Better flavor: It uses fresh, good-quality ingredients that bring out a stronger and more aromatic taste.
- Economical: It’s more budget-friendly than buying a ready-made packet each time.
- No additives: Homemade masala has no preservatives, artificial colors, or other unnecessary ingredients.
- Versatile: Besides Dabeli, you can use this masala in many other dishes, such as pav bhaji, vada pav, chaats, and stir-fried veggies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole spices: To make this flavorful homemade dabeli masala, you’ll need a mix of whole spices that are dry-roasted to bring out their aroma and flavor. These form the base of the masala. You’ll need cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, white sesame seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, dry red chilies, and bay leaves.
- Dry Coconut: Adds a slightly coarse texture and a subtle nutty flavor to the masala.
- Ground Spices: These spice powders boost the flavor and balance the heat and tang.
You’ll need salt, dry mango powder (amchur), and turmeric. - Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the spice.
- Oil: A small amount of any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola, avocado, or light olive oil, helps blend everything smoothly and enhances the flavor.
How to Make Dabeli Masala
Heat a pan over a low flame. Start by adding coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, star anise, and bay leaf. Stir them gently until fragrant.
Then add sesame seeds, dry coconut, and dried red chilies. Continue roasting until the coconut turns slightly golden and the spices have a fragrant aroma.
Tip: Always roast on low heat to avoid burning the spices. The goal is to toast and release their essential oils.
Once toasted, transfer everything to a plate and let the spices cool completely.
Once cooled, grind the mixture into a fine powder using a spice grinder. Add turmeric, amchur, sugar, and salt before grinding to ensure even mixing.
Your homemade Dabeli masala is ready! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Use it right away or keep it handy for whenever you’re making Dabeli.
Pro Tips for Best Results
Use fresh spices: Fresh whole spices give the best flavor and aroma.
Chili heat: Adjust the dried chilies depending on how spicy you want the masala.
Dry coconut: Use dry or desiccated coconut (unsweetened) for best shelf life. Lightly roast until aromatic.
Cool before grinding: Don’t skip this step to prevent clumping and preserve flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store this masala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Just make sure the container is dry and clean.
It has a medium spice level with a balance of sweet, tangy, and smoky flavors. You can adjust the number of dried red chilies to make it more or less spicy.
Yes, if you’re short on time. But I highly recommend trying the homemade version at least once; the flavor and aroma are so much better!
Check out more Homemade Masala Recipes
Homemade Dabeli Masala
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, (Jeera)
- 3 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
- 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 1 inch Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- 2 Black Cardamon
- 12 Cloves (Laung)
- 2 Star anaise
- 1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- 2 teaspoon White sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoon Dried Coconut Slices
- 6 Dried Red Chili Whole
- 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur)
Instructions
- Heat a pan on medium-low heat. Then add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves t the pan. Saute until fragrant.
- Then add star anise, bay leaf, sesame seed, dry coconut, and dried red chili. Roast the spices over low heat until they are fragrant.
- Let the spices cool down completely, then transfer to a spice grinder. Add turmeric, amchur, sugar, and salt to the grinder and grind it to a fine powder. The dabeli masala is ready.
