Chana Chaat Recipe | Chickpea Chaat
Chana Chaat is a traditional Indian and Pakistani delight with a tangy and spicy taste. It’s the kind of appetizer that people often use with main dishes, and it is mostly found on the streets of Pakistan and India.
If you’re Pakistani or Indian, I bet you’re familiar with Chana Chaat. A famous street food comes with a blast of spices and tangy flavor.
I always serve this side dish during Ramadan, invitations, or parties.
The main ingredient in Chana Chaat is chickpeas (channa); on top of that, we use a few basic ingredients for the explosive taste. Wait! The Chaat masala is another crucial spice to elevate the real taste of Chana Chat.
Plus, you will be glad to know that the Chana Chaat recipe is so much a breeze; you have to mix a few ingredients in a bowl, and that’s it. There is no need for any fluffy spices or high-heat cooking techniques.
Chana Chaat is a diverse and versatile delight; I’m making it in my personal favorite way. Stick with the post, and I will share a quick way to make your channel chat bite more crispy and spicy.
Why I Love Chana Chaat?
- Easy-peasy: Chana Chaat is a time saver recipe and doesn’t require high-level cooking skills.
- Explosion Of Flavors: Even though we use only a few ingredients in Chana Chat, its taste is so much more favorable and zesty.
- Unique Dish: The ease of crafting this recipe makes it unique, and its unique taste sets it apart from other recipes.
- Everyone Loves Chana Chaat:Chana Chaat is everyone’s favorite delight in Pakistan. And you can serve it to anyone.
Check Out: Spicy Aloo Chole Recipe
Ingredients For Chickpea Chaat
-
Chickpeas (Channa): Chickpeas have various kinds, but I’m using Kabuli chickpeas (channa) for this recipe. You can also use desi Channa, which is slightly dark in color. To save time you can opt for canned chickpeas as well.
-
Cabbage: This is an optional ingredient, but I can’t live without it. It adds texture to the channel chat.
-
Yogurt: I’m using dairy yogurt, a crucial ingredient. Yogurt will balance the spices and provide a little sweet taste.
-
Potatoes & Tomatoes: Always use sweet potatoes for chana chaat. I have already boiled 1 large potatoes for my one bowl of chana chat. Finely chopped tomatoes are another must-have ingredient to enhance the hues of chana chat.
-
Cucumber: Use minced cucumber in chana chaat to make your bites healthier. However, this one is again an optional ingredient.
-
Green Chili: Dice 2 green chilis; if you’re a fan of spices, you can adjust the quantity as per your taste.
-
Onions: White onion is preferable for channel chat. I chopped the onions in my food factory; you can also dice onions with a knife.
-
Chaat Masala: Chana Chaat without Chaat Masala is so mild and plain. This is the only spice that adds a tangy taste to the dish and makes it favorable.
-
Imli Ginger Sauce: My mom adores this sauce, imparting a zesty blend and warm kick to our chana chaat. If unavailable, you can use home made imli (tamarind) chutney.
-
Papdi: This is my special ingredient to make the bite crunchy. I used gram flour to make these crispy papdi.
-
Capsicum & Coriander: I’m using capsicum and Coriander for richer flavors. Capsicum is optional, and you can skip it if unavailable.
How To Make Chana Chaat
- Soak The Chickpeas: First, soak the chickpeas (Channa) for at least 30 minutes, softening the channa and reducing the cooking time.
- Boil The Chickpeas: Now put all the channa in a pressure cooker and boil them on a medium flame for at least 45 minutes. Don’t forget to add half tbsp of salt to enhance the flavor. In the last 15 minutes, I also added 2 potatoes for boiling.
- Add Yogurt In Bowl: Once the chickpeas have boiled, add the yogurt in a bowl, grab the whisk, and beat it for a minute. This will thin the yogurt and let it mix easily with other ingredients.
- Add ChickPeas (Channa): Add chickpeas (Channa) to the bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. The hot chickpeas absorb the flavor of yogurt and become more tasty.
- Add All The Ingredients: Now it’s time to toss all the other ingredients. First, sprinkle the cabbage, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, capsicum, cucumber, Coriander, chaat masala, salt, imli ginger sauce, and crispy papdi. Mix this medley very well.
- Extra Toppings: I have saved two spoons of curd for extra topping. Plus, again, sprinkle mild ginger sauce, chaat masala, and papdi to enhance the texture of chana chaat. Now, your channel chat is ready to serve.
Nabeel’s Pro Tip
I have been making Chana Chat since my childhood–more than 37 years. I have found that adding a mild ginger sauce and sprinkling papdi is the best way to make this delight more unique.
My second tip is to always sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala at the end for toppings. Especially if you’re serving in individual bowls, don’t hesitate to decorate each bowl with yogurt and chat masala toppings.
You can also add samosas to this chaat to make it heartier and more filling.
FAQs
Variations With Chana Chat
Chana Chaat is a highly customizable side dish. I always make some minute changes to the recipe. Last time, I added red beans along with chickpeas to make the chana chat more nutritious.
And this time, I go with the capsicum that adds a subtle sweetness to chana chaat.
Want that extra crunch? Toss in some papdi to your chana chaat! It adds a crispy texture and takes the flavor to a whole new level. Give it a try!
What To Serve With Chana Chaat?
The first and foremost item that goes perfectly well with Chana Chaat is a cold glass of Coke Cola. You can use any soft drink with this fiery delight.
In our KPK, people often prefer kava or chai with chana chaat.
But if you want to serve it with main dishes, just pair the chana chaat with rice, shami kababs, or any chicken recipe.
Other Famous Pakistani Recipes
Chana Chaat Recipe
Ingredients
- 0.5 Kg Chickpeas (Chana)
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 White Onion (chopped)
- 1 Potatoes – aloo
- 0.8 kg Dairy yogurt
- 1 small Capsicum
- 3 Green chilis
- Cabbage
- Coriander leaves
- Imli sauce
- Papdi (made with gram flour)
- 3 tbsp chaat masala
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in a bowl and leave it for an hour.
- Pressure-cook chickpeas (chana) for 45 mins on medium flame with 1/2 tbsp salt. Add 2 potatoes in the last 15 minutes.
- After boiling chickpeas, add yogurt to a boil and whisk (to beat) it for a minute. I prefer thin yogurt as it easily mixes with the chickpeas and other ingredients.
- Add cabbage, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, capsicum, cucumber, Coriander, chaat masala, salt, imli ginger sauce, and papi. Mix thoroughly.
- To add extra toppings, sprinkle imli ginger sauce, yogurt chaat masala, and papdi to enhance the texture of the chana chat. Ready to serve!
Video
Notes
- While boiling the chickpeas, don’t forget to add one tablespoon of salt to boost the flavor.
- Don’t add water to chana chat; it will make the entire dish mild and less spicy.
Thank you for sharing. Fantastic flavours