A delicious take on a classic; this Dabeli Bruschetta recipe uses spiced potato and an array of toppings on toasted sourdough bread. It is perfect as an appetizer or to serve at a party!
Indian street food is delicious and always a treat. Whether it is chaat, dabeli, sandwich or vada pav; these street eats taste best from the vendors compared to restaurants!
I love making different versions of street foods and serving them in a different way. This recipe of Dabeli Bruschetta is inspired from Dabeli or Double Roti; an amazing snack or appetizer.
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What is Dabeli?
Dabeli is an Indian snack made by stuffing seasoned potatoes with chutney, onions, peanuts and pomegranate in buttered bread and toasting it to a golden brown color.
A popular street food in Gujarat and Maharashtra, Dabeli is super tasty. A lot of street food vendors in Mumbai are specialists in making this and serve out hundreds of dabeli each day! Learn more about Dabeli on Wikipedia.
Inspired from this, I decided to make an open version in the form of a bruschetta. Call it open dabeli, dabeli crostini or dabeli toast; it is delicious and easy to make.
Why this recipe works?
- An easy version of Dabeli, this one does not need any specific bun or bread. It works great with French bread, Sourdough loaf, Sliced white or brown bread etc.
- The recipe is easy to customize. Add the ingredients that are available, substitute or skip the rest. The recipe will work really well any way.
- A partially make ahead recipe; the potato mix can be made before hand and so can the chutneys. Thus, the recipe comes together in under 20 minutes at the time of assembly.
- Dabeli Bruschetta is easy to serve at any party or get together. Moreover, it does look super chic and full of color. This is the prime reason I pick this over the traditional Dabeli.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread: The starting point of this recipe is bread. Given that the bread is toasted or baked, I like to use sourdough or rustic white bread. They hold up well and crisp up on toasting.
- Potato Mixture: Made using boiled and mashed potatoes with a special spice mix called Dabeli masala; this potato mixture is typical for dabeli and this recipe. It has a sweet, salty and sour taste. I use ready masala for this.However, make it at home if you like.
- Chutney: The recipe uses a sweet tamarind and dates chutney, a spicy garlic chutney and a spicy cilantro chutney. Either buy them or make at home.
- Toppings: For this toast recipe I have used peanuts, sev, chopped onions, pomegranate and tutti-frutti.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- In a mortar pestle add chopped garlic, red chili powder and salt.
2- Mix and press everything well so the garlic is mashed completely and is mixed with red chili powder and salt.
3-Then heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they pop add the dabeli masala.
4- Next add boiled and mashed potato to the pan.
5- Mix well and ensure the masala coats the potatoes well. Then turn down the gas and set aside.
6- Then place in a preheated oven at 375 F for 10 minutes. Remove once the bread is crisp. On the bread slices add a teaspoon of spicy chili cilantro chutney, garlic chutney and sweet tamarind dates chutney.
7- Spread the chutney so that the bread is covered with it.
8- Then add 3-4 tablespoon of potato mixture on each breads and spread it well.
9- Then top with sev, chopped onions, masala peanuts, pomegranate, tutti-frutti and chopped cilantro.
10- Then serve as an appetizer or snack.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Use sourdough or rustic white bread for the recipe. It holds up really well.
- Tutti-frutti or pomegranate can be skipped if you are unable to find it. However, they add a lot of sweet taste to the recipe and a pop of color. So I like to always add them.
- The recipe makes 12 medium sized bread slices. However, if the size of bread you are using is different, the number will change.
- The amount of potato topping depends on how much you like it. One can add a LOT if you like or stick to just a couple of spoons.
Recipe FAQs
Dabeli is an Indian snack made by stuffing seasoned potatoes with chutney, onions, peanuts and pomegranate in buttered bread and toasting it to a golden brown color.
Definitely. Though I like that rustic white and sourdough toasts well and becomes crisp. I would recommend using them but whole wheat works too.
The chutney and the potato mixture can be made in advance. It is best to assemble and bake the bruschetta immediately before serving.
If you are making it for a party, assemble everything and keep it ready. Bake the breads just ahead of serving
More recipes to try
Dabeli Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 12 slices Sourdough or rustic white bread
- 2 medium potatoes (boiled and peeled)
- 4 tablespoon Dabeli Masala
- ½ cup Sweet Dates tamarind Chutney
- ½ cup Spicy Cilantro Chutney
- 1½ tablespoon Oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the toppings
- ¼ cup Sev
- ¼ cup Tutti-Frutti
- ¼ cup Masala Peanuts
- ¼ cup Pomegranate
- ⅓ cup Chopped red onions
- 2-3 stalks Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- In a mortar pestle add chopped garlic, red chili powder and salt.
- Mix and press everything well so the garlic is mashed completely and is mixed with red chili powder and salt.
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they pop add the dabeli masala.
- Add boiled and mashed potato to the pan.
- Mix well and ensure the potato gets coated with the masala. Turn down the gas and set aside.
- Place in a preheated oven at 375 F for 10 minutes. Remove once the bread is crisp.
- On the toasted bread slices add a teaspoon of spicy chili cilantro chutney, garlic chutney and sweet tamarind dates chutney.
- Spread the chutney so that the bread is covered with it.
- Add 3-4 tablespoon of potato mixture on each breads and spread it well.
- Top with sev, chopped onions, masala peanuts, pomegranate, tutti-frutti and chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Use sourdough or rustic white bread for the recipe. It holds up really well.
- Tutti-frutti or pomegranate can be skipped if you are unable to find it. They add a lot of sweet taste to the recipe and a pop of color.
- The recipe makes 12 medium sized breads. If the size of bread you are using is different, the number will change.
- The amount of potato topping depends on how much you like it. Add a LOT if you like or stick to just a couple of spoons.
Amy says
How can I make this ahead of time for a party for 40 people?
Will the bread get soggy because of all the chutneys and mixture on top?
herbsmruti says
I would recommend preparing everything till the baking step before hand. Then, when ready to serve, simply bake and top. That way it will be fresh and not soggy.
Amy says
Thank you for your prompt response! Appreciate it!