“After my father’s passing, we took over the cart, but did not touch his special dabeli masala recipe”

It’s 9:30 am and Mohan Dabeli cart on Hospital Road in Bhuj is already teeming with people. Working behind a sizzling pan is Dipesh Rajgor, 40, son of Mohan Shamji Rajgor, who started this cart over 40 years ago, serving the most popular Kutchi dabeli in town. “My father is no more but I am continuing his legacy with the help of my uncle,” Dipesh says, smiling, as orders keep pouring in.

He slides some butter onto the pan and places a potato mash-stuffed pav on it. As an eager customer watches his order come together, Dipesh garnishes the dabeli with roasted peanuts, sev, chutney, pomegranate, even rose petals. I take out my phone to capture it, but by then, half the dabeli is already gone. All it took was four, perhaps five, bites.

“This is why people love dabeli—quick to eat, tasty, and cheap,” Navin, Dipesh’s uncle, quips. The classic Garam Butter Dabeli costs Rs 20. There are six more varieties on the menu, all within the range of Rs. 20-60.

A popular street food in India, Dabeli traces its origin to Kutch—particularly the Mandavi region, where Mohan bhai’s family hails from. Having joined his father’s operations at 15, Dipesh has only ever considered it his livelihood, “My father handed me a business that he had already established, so why would I go elsewhere?”

While there are many dabeli carts in Bhuj, this one stands out due to its authentic flavours. “After my father’s passing, we took over the cart, but didn’t touch his special dabeli masala recipe,” Dipesh says. This masala has 34 ingredients, and Dipesh and his wife Shilpa prepare a fresh batch every morning to suffice a steady flow of customers from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm.

Parked on a pavement in an unassuming corner, Mohan Dabeli has a fan base that extends beyond the town’s limits. “Children who used to eat here with their parents are now grown up and settled in the US, UK, Australia. They make it a point to drop by for a dabeli when they visit home,” Navin tells me. As I bite into the dabeli, I understand the fanfare: the crunchy peanuts and the soft, buttery bun, along with a burst of sweet-tangy-spicy, makes for a perfect snack.