It is not just this Shakkaria na Daabda, Gujarati fare has a rich variety of Daabda recipes (the most popular being Khambhati Daabda). Don’t these look and sound amazing !! The more I explore and learn about such ingenious recipes, the more awestruck it leaves me !! The wisdom and ingenuity of individuals who conceived these recipes and the actual thought behind these creations make me wonder how many of such treasures have we lost because they were undocumented!!
A true labour of love, the Gujarati thali spread is a sight to behold.Durign the bygone times when food was an expression of love and fondness the need must have been to make the plate look brimming and beaming with a wide array of food, that not just preserved the integrity of the seasonal produce but left you raptured with their taste, texture, aroma and sight Of all the foods that fill up our festive Thali, it is the varieties of mithai/sweet and farsan/savoury in offing that always steal the show. Gujarati Farsan can be divided into steamed and fried varieties. The Daabda I share here lie somewhere in between. Neither steamed nor fried, these are covered and cooked over a griddle using little oil.
Daabda are slices of vegetables stuffed with a variety of stuffing. The popular vegetables for this are Aubergines, Sweet Potatoes, Purple Yam and Potatoes depending on the season! The modern-day caterers have reduced the charming Daabda to ‘sandwich’ but my little research tells me this colourful farsan might be named after Dabdo દાબડો/Dabro-ડબરો, a flat brass container (showcased on my Instagram feed) traditionally used to store Rotli/Bhakhri! Like most farsans the Daabda too hold a promise to enthral us all!! I have tried recreating the Purple Yam Daabda with the Purple Sweet Potatoes that are easily available here in Singapore.
The filling for Daabda have various combinations. A mixture of finely chopped coriander leaves +freshly shredded coconut+ginger+green chilies+sesame+salt+lemon+sugar (AKA green masala/stuffing)is very popular for Ratalu, so is shredded lilva and green masala mentioned above. Depending on the vegetable slices used there can be a stuffing made of coriander+coconut stuffing, seasonal beans+spices or a besan+spices, whichever suits the best.
The purple sweet potatoes mimic the purple yam we so adore but is hardly seen in Singapore. It is important to tie the slices together to help them hold the stuffing well. Cover and cook till almost done, later uncover and allow to crisp up.
Daabda - Stuffed Vegetable Slices
Ingredients
- 750 grams sweet potato or purple yam slices
- 1/2 cup fresh coconut, shredded
- 3/4 cup coriander, chopped
- 1/4 cup besan/chickpea flour, lightly roasted
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons minced green chilies
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon jucie
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon heeng/asafoetida
- salt to taste
- Kitchen twine to tie the Daabda
- Oil to cook the Daabda
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, bring together chopped, coriander, coconut, roasted chickpea flour, sesame seeds, ginger, green chilli, sugar, lemon juice, red chilli powder, hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt. Mix well.
Roughly pound or in a mixer jar pulse the filling mix to a rough mix. You do not want a very fine paste of the mix. Keep aside.
Scrub and wash the purple yam/sweet potatoes well. Peep off and slice in thick discs (1/4th mm or under) of equal thickness. The slices have to be neither very thick not thin (should be like thick puri that can hold the filling). Pair the slices of equal diameter.
Place a spoonful of the filling mix on a slice of sweet potato, place another slice on the top of it, press it tight and tie the entire bundle with a kitchen twine. Repeat to finish all the slices and filling mix.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a griddle or shallow pan. Arrange the prepared sweet potato bundles over the warm oil. Keep the flame to a medium low. Cover with a lid that can hold half a glass of water. This is a classic way of cooking vegetables without adding water in to the pan.
Cook on one side, turn and cook on the other side. You should look for Al Dante/not completely cooked slices. The slices should not be over cooked but slightly charred, fried and cooked to retain its bite.
Alternatively you can also bake these in a moderate oven.
Once done, arrange on a serving platter and serve warm with a dollop of green chutney.
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