Ah, chaat. It’s a popular category of Indian street food that is equal amounts of sweet, spicy and tangy. This Chana Chaat recipe is ALL that plus packed with protein and fiber, making it a flavorful and healthy side dish or meal!
With its perfect union of aromatic spices, varying textures and sauces, there is no question why chaat dishes are so beloved. It’s a category of Indian street food originating in North India, but has become hugely popular across all of South Asia. A typical chaat dish features a mixture of papdi (fried dough wafers), boiled potato, yogurt, pungent spices, tamarind and coriander chutneys. It can be garnished with other vegetables (like tomatoes), fresh coriander, sev (fried chickpea flour noodles), or pretty much anything your heart desires.
Essentially, there are NO rules or limits when it comes to chaat. So, no, you don’t have to use the same ingredients to make a chaat recipe. Use anything you like! That’s the beauty of making your own chaat.
For this recipe, I used chickpeas as the base to keep the protein content high. One cup of chickpeas provides about 1/3 of an adult’s daily protein requirements (source).
One cup of chickpeas also provides about 12.5 g of fiber. With the addition of potatoes in this recipe, this fiber-rich dish will promote the feeling of fullness and delay digestion, which can help with weight management and controlling diabetes (source). Aaaand, chickpeas are completely cholesterol free, so they’re heart-healthy!
Basically, eat your chickpeas. They’re really good for you 🙂
To add a little more crunch and brightness to this dish, I added some pomegranate seeds. They add a perfect blend of sweet and tart burst of flavor. Sometimes, I’ll also add mung bean sprouts, which is another amazing source of protein!
For the chutneys, I use the usual combination of a sweet chutney and spicier green chutney. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m actually not a huge fan of tamarind chutney. I prefer a sweet chutney made from apple butter. I LOVE my mom’s apple butter chutney, so I’m sharing her recipe for it as well as her green chutney in the recipe box below!
SO, HOW Do YOU MAKE CHANA CHAAT?
- Prep all your ingredients. Having all the ingredients ready helps to serve the chaat quickly!
- Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas, cook one cup of dried chickpeas to yield the same amount.
- Cook or boil your potato. Do whichever method you prefer! I typically wash the potato, poke it, and microwave it for 3 minutes, or until cooked completely. Then, I let it cool for a few minutes, peel off the skin, and chop the potato into cubes.
- Deseed the pomegranate, dice up the tomato, roughly chop up some cilantro, and finely chop up chilis (if using).
- Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until it’s nice and smooth.
- Prepare the chutneys.
- Assemble your chaat!
- Add the chickpeas, cubed potato, olive oil, lemon juice, chaat masala, and red chili powder to a large bowl and gently stir to combine.
- When ready to serve, divide the mixture among 4 plates (or 2 if serving as a meal), and top with the rest of the ingredients!
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, I would love to see and share your recreations! Tag me on Instagram @plantedpriyanka or tell me in the comments section below! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Happy eating!
Love,
Priyanka
Chana (Chickpea) Chaat
Ingredients
Chaat:
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large potato, cooked, peeled and cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp chaat masala, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder, plus more for garnish
- 1 large roma tomato, diced
- 1 pomegranate, deseeded
- 1/2 cup dairy-free yogurt, whisked (I use Kite Hill Plain Unsweetened)
- any thin sev, to taste (I use Haldiram's)
- handful cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 serrano chilis, chopped (optional)
Apple Butter Chutney:
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder, adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
Green Chutney:
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed and rinsed
- 5 almonds, soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes
- 1 serrano chili
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 inch piece of ginger
- 1/2 inch piece of turmeric, optional
Instructions
- Apple Butter Chutney: Roast cumin seeds in a pan over medium heat until dark brown, about two minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle, and grind into a powder. Mix together the apple butter, brown sugar, roasted ground cumin seeds, red chili powder, and salt in a bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Green Chutney: Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
To assemble chaat:
- In a large serving bowl, add drained chickpeas, cubed potatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, chaat masala, and red chili powder. Gently stir to combine.
- Divide mixture among 4 plates. Top with diced tomatoes, pomegranate, yogurt, sev, cilantro, chopped chili (if using), and chutneys. Sprinkle more chaat masala and red chili powder over the top, if desired. Enjoy!
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