Kabuli Chana Chaat is a quick, healthy, and flavorful Indian chaat snack recipe made with white chickpeas (chana), veggies, spices, fresh herbs, and sweet and tangy chutneys.
India is a melting pot of diverse cultures, and amidst its vibrant chaos, Indian street food stands out for its explosion of flavors. One beloved street food is chaat, known for its tangy, spicy, and irresistible flavors that elevate each bite, leaving you craving more.
If you explore this cuisine, you'll find a myriad of chaat recipes. For instance, aloo tikki chaat, dahi papdi chaat, sev puri, fruit chaat, and more. Here, we bring you a delicious protein-rich chaat recipe that combines health and taste. It is called Chana Chaat, which is very similar to my kala chana chaat.
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What Is Chana Chaat?
Chana Chaat is a healthy and savory Indian chaat snack made with boiled white chickpeas (kabuli chana), vegetables, fresh herbs, sweet and tangy chutneys, and spices.
Looking for more Chickpea Recipes? Check out this collection of 15+ Indian Chickpea Recipes.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): Also known as chana, or chole. You should rinse and soak it overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours, so they cook faster. You can also use 2 canned chickpeas, instead. Make sure to drain the liquid and rinse before using them.
- Potatoes: I used 1 medium boiled potato and diced it into cubes. You can skip it if you don't like it. Check the post how to boil potatoes in Instant Pot.
- Onions & Tomatoes: Use red onions for their sweetness and crunch. Use firm, de-seeded, and diced Roma tomatoes.
- Cucumber: Persian or English cucumbers work best for chaats. But, you can use any cucumber you like.
- Seasoning: I used roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, regular salt, black salt, and red chili powder.
- Sev: Use Thin sev (or nylon sev).
- Chutneys: I used 2 types of chutneys coriander mint chutney and tamarind date chutney.
How to Make Kabuli Chana Chaat
Step 1: Soaking Chickpeas
Rinse and soak 1 cup of white chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight. The chickpeas will double in size when they are soaked.
Step 2: Cook Chickpeas
- In a Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas and salt with 2.5 cups water for 4-5 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas with 3 cups water on High Pressure for 15-20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Here is the Detailed Recipe for "How to cook chickpeas in Instant Pot".
- Note: Boiling 1 cup of dried white chickpeas results in approximately 2.5 cups of cooked chickpeas.
Step 3: Assembling the Chaat
In a large mixing bowl, add boiled chickpeas (chana), boiled and cubed potatoes, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, green chili, coriander leaves, spices like red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, salt, black salt, green chutney, tamarind chutney, and lemon juice.
Toss gently to combine.
Garnish with thin sev and coriander leaves, and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this chana chaat as a snack or appetizer. You can also enjoy masala chai in the evening.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make-Ahead: Cook the chickpeas and prep the veggies, herbs, and chutneys the night before serving. Store the ingredients in a separate container for prolonged shelf life, and assemble when you are ready to serve.
- Storage: Store the leftover chaat in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container or mason jar.
Tips to Make the Best Chickpea Chaat
- Soaking Chana: I recommend soaking kabula chana overnight or for at least 6 hours in water, as they have tougher skin. Soaking helps to cook them faster and soften them, which makes them easier to digest.
- No-Soak Method: If you do not have time to soak dried chana, then rinse 2-3 times and follow the exact cooking instructions. Adjust the pressure cooking time to 35-40 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- Cool the chickpeas before adding them to the chaat: Otherwise, warm chickpeas may cause the fresh vegetables to wilt and lose their crispness.
- Prep Beforehand: Make sure you assemble all the ingredients beforehand to make the job easier.
- Use Homemade Chutneys: Homemade chutneys are the best to use. These chutneys are fresh and will enhance the flavor of the dish.
Variations
- Veggies: You can also add boiled sweet potatoes, avocados, bell peppers, raw mango, and more.
- Other Beans: You can make this chaat with black chickpeas, green chickpeas, or kidney beans (rajma).
- Crispy Papdis: You can also add crispy papdis to the chaat for a crunchy texture.
- Dahi Chana Chaat: You can add whisked homemade yogurt to complement the chaat's spiciness, and it gives a cooling effect.
- Sprouted Chickpea Chaat: For a healthier version, you can boil or steam the chickpea sprouts until they are almost cooked and use them in the recipe.
Chana Chaat Recipe (Chickpea Chaat)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans or chole) (or 2.5 cups of cooked chickpeas)
- 3 cups water to cook chickpeas
- 1 medium boiled potato cubed
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 small tomato finely chopped
- ½ cup cucumber finely chopped
- 1 green chili finely chopped, optional
- 2-3 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- a pinch black salt
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons coriander mint chutney
- 1-2 tablespoons sweet tamarind chutney
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- thin sev
Instructions
Soaking Chickpeas
- Rinse and soak 1 cup of white chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in 3 cups of water overnight. The chickpeas will double in size when they are soaked.
Cook Chickpeas
- In a Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas and salt with 2.5 cups water for 4-5 whistles on medium-low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas with 3 cups water on High Pressure for 15-20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Here is the Detailed Recipe for "How to cook chickpeas in Instant Pot".Note: Boiling 1 cup of dried white chickpeas results in approximately 2.5 cups of cooked chickpeas.
Assembling the Chaat
- In a large mixing bowl, add boiled chickpeas (chana), boiled and cubed potatoes, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, green chili, coriander leaves, spices like red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, salt, black salt, green chutney, tamarind chutney, and lemon juice.
- Toss gently to combine.
- Garnish with thin sev and coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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