India has no shortage of street food, but every now and then, a dish comes along that makes you wonder how you didn’t discover it earlier. For industrialist Harsh Goenka, that dish appears to be Gujarat’s much-loved dabeli.Goenka recently took to social media to share his love for the snack, calling it Gujarat’s answer to the burger. And once you look at what’s packed inside that soft pav, it’s easy to see why it has won him over.Dabeli is made with a spicy-sweet potato filling that’s tucked into a pav and topped with a mix of chutneys, peanuts, sev and pomegranate. The result is a little bit of everything in one bite – spicy, sweet, tangy and crunchy.Sharing his thoughts on social media, Goenka wrote, “Dabeli is Gujarat’s answer to the burger 😋! A soft pav stuffed with spicy-sweet potato, chutneys, peanuts, sev and pomegranate. Sweet, spicy, crunchy and tangy. I much prefer it to vada pav and burger. Unfortunately most outside of Mumbai and Gujarat are unfamiliar with it!”And he’s not wrong about its popularity being concentrated in certain parts of the country. Dabeli is closely associated with Gujarat and is also hugely popular in Mumbai, where it has become a familiar street-food favourite.What makes dabeli particularly fun is the contrast in textures. The soft pav and creamy potato filling are balanced by crunchy peanuts and sev, while the chutneys add the sweet and tangy kick. It’s messy, flavourful and very much the kind of snack that’s hard to stop at just one.So, while the burger may have global fame and vada pav has its own loyal following, dabeli has quietly held its ground as one of Gujarat’s most loved street foods. And if Goenka’s latest food obsession is anything to go by, perhaps more people outside Gujarat and Mumbai are finally going to give it a try.
