Aloo Chana Chaat

Aloo chana chaat recipe with step by step photos. This is a spicy, tangy, sweet chaat made with boiled potatoes, white chickpeas, onion, tomato, spices and various chutneys. It makes for a filling and healthy snack that you can have any time of the day.

Chaat time on the blog. Sharing an easy chaat snack. One which can be had as a starter, brunch or as an evening snack.

If you have some boiled chickpeas left, then it is pretty simple to assemble this chaat snack. Generally when I make Chole Masala, then I always boil extra chickpeas and keep them in the fridge.

These come handy to make quick recipes like Falafel, Hummus, Chickpea Salad, Chana Pulao and this chaat. You could also use canned chickpeas if you are in a hurry.

Usually when I prepare any chaat snack, then I prepare the chaat chutneys a day before and refrigerate them. The red chili chutney and tamarind chutney keeps well for some weeks. Whereas the green chutney keeps well for a day or two.

The aloo chana chaat recipe can also be made into a salad. Just add some grated carrots, blanched french beans, beetroots, zucchini to the chaat. Skip the papdi and sev, if serving as a salad.

In this aloo chana chaat, I have added 3 chutneys:

• Green chutney
• Tamarind chutney (sweet chutney)
• Red chili chutney

If you do not have the time to make these chaat chutneys, then just add a few ground spice powders which are used in the recipe and still enjoy the chaat. Do drizzle some lemon juice while serving.

This aloo chana chaat can be served at room temperature or chilled. If serving chilled, then add the crushed papdis, sev and coriander leaves while serving.

How to make Aloo Chana Chaat

Cooking Chickpeas:
1. Rinse ½ cup dried white chickpeas (a.k.a. chana or chole) in freshwater a couple of times. Then soak them overnight or for 8 to 9 hours in enough water in a bowl.

2. Next day drain the water very well. Rinse the chickpeas in running water and again drain the water.

Transfer the rinsed chickpeas to a 2 liter stovetop pressure cooker. Add 2 cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt or as required. Pressure cook the chickpeas for 11 to 12 minutes on a medium heat or till they are tender and softened. There should be no bite in them.  

When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid. The chickpeas should have a melt in the mouth texture. There should be no hardness in the center.

Strain the chickpeas and let them become warm or come to room temperature.

You can also cook the chickpeas in a pan on the stovetop or Instant pot adding water as needed. However cooking the chickpeas in a pan will take more time.

3. Take 1.5 to 2 cups cooked chickpeas in a mixing bowl.

4. To the cooked chickpeas, add chopped boiled potatoes. You will require 2 medium-sized potatoes that have been boiled, peeled and chopped.

You can choose to omit the potatoes. But they give a good taste and make the snack more filling.

3. Stir and Mix.

4. Add green chutney, tamarind chutney and red chili chutney. Add the chutneys as per your taste preferences. Do note that if not using red chili chutney, then add red chili powder.

5. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onions and ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes. If you don’t like onions then you can skip adding them.

6. Mix everything very well so that the various chutneys coats the potatoes and chickpeas well. Do a taste test and add more of any of the chutney if needed.

7. Take a portion of the chaat on a serving plate. You can add a few tablespoons of chilled whipped yogurt (curd) at this point.

8. Sprinkle a pinch or two of chaat masala powder, roasted cumin powder and black salt or regular salt as required.

9. Sprinkle some crushed papdi on top. You can also add some roasted peanuts at this step.

10. Sprinkle some sev (fried gram flour vermicelli) on top. You could also add aloo bhujia sev instead of fine sev.

11. Lastly add a touch of chopped coriander leaves. Drizzle some lemon juice if you prefer.

12. Serve aloo chana chaat immediately. If you don’t serve straightaway then the sev will become soggy.

More tasty chaat varieties:

• Chana chaat
• Ragda patties
• Dahi bhalla
• Aloo chaat
• Pani puri

This Aloo Chana Chaat post from the blog archives first published in Feb 2016 has been republished and updated on 20 January 2022.