Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza is an Indian fusion recipe. It's made with dabeli masala, spiced peanuts, pomegranate, sev, cheese & mini pita bread!

It's delicious to taste and very easy to make. Add this snack to your holiday menu this year!

Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza garnished with sev and peanuts on top — Fusion recipe at its best!

Table of Contents

Indian street food

There should be a separate category dedicated to Indian street food! We Indians love our street food and every town, city, and the state has its own range of dishes that they love.

In the last couple of years, lots of fusion recipes have entered the street food scene in India. Lots of international dishes have been fused with Indian flavors to suit our palate.

Indian fusion recipes

Many recipes of mine are also heavily influenced by Indian street food because I love them! And going by the views these recipes get, I know you love it too.

a hand holding a wooden board that has 3 Dabeli Pita Bread Pizzas — Dinner is served!

What is dabeli

Also known as Kutchi dabeli or double roti, it's a popular snack food of India, originating in the Kutch or Kachchh region of Gujarat.

It's a spiced mashed potato dish that's seasoned with a special dabeli masala, peanuts, sev, and pomegranate. It's then sandwiched between a buttered pav and served.

This snack is so popular that its served across India and also around the world. All the ingredients used to make Kutchi dabeli give it a very unique flavor.

I have tried many dabeli recipes over the years and have now finally settled on this one. My dabeli recipe is easy, simple, and still delicious to taste.

Why use pita bread

It's a healthier choice! Plus it's easily available, quick to use, and the mini ones make perfect bite-sized snacks.

I love using mini pita bread in my kitchen a lot. Falafel Smash Pita Bread is a HIT in our house!

Why make this

This recipe can be made vegan or non-vegan
Very delicious because it's loaded with sweet, spicy, sour and salty flavors
A new way of presenting a classic dish
Quick, easy and simple to make
Crowd-pleaser

Ingredients needed

Pizza base - I have used mini pita bread for this recipe. Read my notes below for substitutions.

Potatoes - Russet potatoes or any potatoes you would use to make mashed potatoes will work for this recipe.

Other fruits and veggies - Onion and pomegranate arils give this snack a mildly sweet and tart flavor.

Dabeli masala - This is a specific spice blend that's used to make dabeli. It's easily found at Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.

You can also use this spice mix in other recipes. I have shared a quick fix recipe to make this masala at home if needed, in the notes section below.

Other spices and herbs - cilantro, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chillies/serrano peppers, chilly powder, asafoetida, cumin powder, and amchur powder are needed.

You can also add chaat masala to give it more flavor.

Peanuts, sev, green chutney, meetha chutney, and cheese are added as toppings to make this desi pizza lip-smacking!

Here's how to make it

6 image collage showing how to make the potato stuffing for dabeli — Delicious stuffing!

Cook the potatoes first. Then peel and grate or simply mash them using a potato masher.

Heat oil in a pan, add chilly powder, salt, and chaat masala (if using). Fry for 10 seconds and then add the peanuts. Fry for 30 seconds till they turn crispy. Transfer them to a bowl.
Heat oil in the same pan and saute onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, minced green chillies. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
Then add all the spice mixes like Dabeli masala, amchur powder, chilly powder, asafoetida, and cumin powder. Mix and fry for another 30 seconds.
Now add the grated potatoes, sweet/meetha chutney, cilantro (reserve some for garnish) and pomegranate arils.
Then add part of the masala peanuts, and salt.
Lastly add the grated or mashed potatoes and mix it all together. Cook it for 1-2 minutes and take it off the flame. Stuffing is ready.

6 image collage showing the steps to make Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza — So convenient to use pita bread!

Toast or grill the mini pita breads.
Smear green chutney all over it.
Layer it with a generous helping of Dabeli mixture.
Arrange onion slices and pomegranate arils over them.
Top it with grated cheese and chopped cilantro.
Garnish it with sev, masala peanuts and pomegranate arils.

Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza served on a wooden platter — So delicious!

Serving suggestions

You can serve them immediately if your potato mixture is hot or warm. The cheese will melt automatically.

But if the potato mixture is cold, then quickly broil these dabeli pita bread pizzas in the oven for 2-3 minutes or till the cheese melts.

You can also warm it up in a skillet. Cover the skillet and cook till the cheese melts. Serve them warm.

Since these are mini pita bread, there is no need to slice them, but you can still slice and serve. Enjoy this as a snack or as a meal!

Add this dabeli pita bread pizza recipe to your holiday menu (Thanksgiving, Diwali, Christmas, or Holi). It's new and different and will make your holiday party a smashing hit!

BTW, you can totally serve dabeli the original way by using the same recipe. Instead of pita bread, use a pav or a water roll. Stuffing and toppings remain the same.

Tips, recommendations, and suggestions

Instead of pomegranate arils, you can also use red grapes. Chop them and add. Add a mix of beets and sweet potatoes along with potatoes to make it more nourishing.

Feel free to add more cooked and mashed veggies and greens to the mix. Tone down the spice level if making for children. Add store-bought masala peanuts to save time making them.

Substitute for dabeli masala

If you are unable to find dabeli masala, you can quickly make it at home. It can be used in any other recipe as well. This recipe is just a quick fix.

Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, dry red chilies, dry coconut, bay leaves, and sugar.

Then grind this to a dry powder and store it in an airtight container. You can leave it in the pantry. Use this in any recipe that calls for dabeli masala.

You may use garam masala if you really have to. However, the flavors will differ.

Different ways to cook pita bread

Since I have used mini pita bread to make this pizza, I toasted them in the oven. You can also microwave it for 30 seconds and use it.

Alternatively, you can grill them to get an earthy flavor. Another way is to cook it in a skillet with little oil.

How to store

Make the dabeli mixture ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It stays well for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen.

If you have some leftover pizza, cover and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat and enjoy!

You can also freeze these pizzas for a couple of months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge. Add fresh toppings and then bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Alternate pizza bases

In place of mini pita bread, you can also use regular-sized pita bread. You can also use any store-bought or homemade pizza base.

Another fusion way is to use naan bread like I used to make Paneer Pizza or any other Indian flatbread like roti, paratha, or kulcha. Even a regular bread slice will work.

For a gluten-free and low-carb version, you can also use a cauliflower pizza base. Alternatively, you can also enjoy it as a stuffed sandwich or stuffed pav.

3 Dabeli Pita Bread Pizzas served on a wooden platter — Packed with flavors!

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram @cookilicious with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg. I love hearing your feedback!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what I’m getting up to.

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click here.

Dabeli Pita Bread Pizza