chana chaat (easy white chickpeas snack)

Chana chaat recipe with step by step photos. Chana chaat is a tasty, tangy and easy chaat snack made from white chickpeas (chana or chole), spice powders, onions, tomatoes and lemon.

It can be made very quickly if you have canned chickpeas or leftover boiled chana. If using canned chickpeas, then you just need to mix the spices, onions, tomatoes et all and savor the chana chaat.

Chana chaat can be compared to a chickpea salad. however, the taste of any chaat snack is nowhere to a salad. So the comparison does not do much justice to the recipe. While a salad is simple and sober, a chaat is full of bursting flavors and taste.

What makes a chaat different from salad is the addition of green chillies, black salt, chaat masala, onions and lemon juice. You can even add tamarind chutney and green coriander chutney to perk up the flavors more. Some fresh curd can also be added.

In the recipe post, I have cooked the chickpeas first. I have also added potatoes that can be skipped.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, then it is very easy to make and assemble the chaat. You could serve the chana chaat warm or cold. It can be served as a starter, snack or even can be had as a brunch. I have also shared a different recipe of Aloo chana chaat.

Tips for making chana chaat

1. You can add more or less of the spice powders, black salt and lemon juice as per your taste buds.
2. When you boil the chickpeas, add some salt to the water while boiling.
3. Do not add green chilli if you do not want to eat a spicy and hot chaat. skip green chillies and Kashmiri red chilli powder for small kids.
4. If you want to serve the chana chaat cold, then refrigerate. Do not add the crushed pooris and coriander leaves while refrigerating chana chaat. When you serve the chilled chaat, at that time you add the crushed pooris and coriander leaves.
5. The chana chaat will be warm if you have freshly cooked the chickpeas and are not using leftover cooked chickpeas.
6. If you cook the chickpeas in a pot then the preparation time will be 30 to 45 minutes.
7. To cook the chickpeas in a pot or pan, soak the chickpeas overnight. The add 3 to 4 cups water in a pan with the soaked chickpeas and salt. Also add a few drops of oil, so that the foaming and frothing are reduced. If the water froths too much, then cook without the lid.
8. 2.5 to 3 cups of canned chickpeas can also be used instead of dried chickpeas.
9. You can even Add some finely chopped cucumber, grated carrot or beetroot in the chole chaat.

How to make chana chaat

1. Soak 1 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas) in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Later drain all the water. Rinse the chickpeas in running water and again drain the water. You can also use 2.5 to 3 cups canned chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, then you just need to mix the spices, onions, tomatoes et all and savour the chana chaat.

2. Take the chickpeas in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon salt.

3. Add 2 cups water. If you use a large cooker, then you will have to increase the amount of water.

4. Place a bowl on top of the chickpeas. Rinse and keep a medium to large potato inside the bowl. You can skip the potato if you want.

5. Cover tightly with the lid and initially pressure cook on medium flame. When you start hearing the hissing sound in the cooker, lower the flame a bit and cook for 10 to 12 whistles.

6. When the pressure falls on its own, remove the lid

7. Check the potato by sliding a knife or fork through it. The fork or knife should be slid easily.

8. Also check the chickpeas. You should be able to mash the cooked chickpeas easily. There should be no hardness in the center. The chickpeas should have a melt in the mouth texture. If the chickpeas is not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few more whistles.

Preparation for chana chaat

9. Drain all the water and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.

10. Peel the potato once it becomes warm. Then chop and keep aside.

11. Rinse, peel and then finely chop 1 medium onion, 1 medium tomato and 1 green chill. Also rinse and then finely chop some coriander leaves. Keep aside.

Making chana chaat.

12. Take the cooked chickpeas in a mixing bowl.

13. Add all the spice powders – 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala. Add both black salt and regular salt as per taste.  you can also add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).

14. Add the chopped potatoes.

15. Mix very well so the spice powders, salts coats the potatoes and chickpeas.

16. Add the finely chopped onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies and coriander leaves (cilantro leaves).

17. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or add as required.

18. Again mix very well. Check the taste and you can add salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, green chillies, lemon juice more if you want.

19. Serve chana chaat in a bowl instantly. While serving garnish with some coriander leaves and sev. Adding sev is optional. You can even garnish with some crushed papdi or pani poori.

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Chana Chaat

5 from 11 votes

By Dassana Amit

Chole chaat or chana chaat is a tasty, tangy and easy chaat snack made from white chickpeas or chana, spice powders, onions, tomatoes and lemon. You can also use canned chickpeas to make this chatpata chana chaat. 

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Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

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Cuisine Indian

Course: Snacks

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Servings 4

Units

Ingredients

for pressure cooking chana

• ▢ 1 cup chana or dried white chickpeas
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups water - for pressure cooking
• ▢ 1 medium to large potato - optional

other ingredients for chana chaat

• ▢ 1 medium sized onion - finely chopped
• ▢ 1 medium sized tomato - finely chopped
• ▢ 1 green chili , finely chopped - optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) - optional
• ▢ regular white salt or rock salt (edible and food grade) - add as per taste
• ▢ black salt - add as per taste
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or add as per taste
• ▢ 3 to 4 pani pooris or papdis crushed
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
• ▢ ¼ cup fine sev - optional

Instructions

cooking chickpeas

• Soak 1 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas) in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Later drain all the water. Rinse the chickpeas in running water and again drain the water. You can also use 2.5 to 3 cups canned chickpeas. if using canned chickpeas, then you just need to mix the spices, onions, tomatoes et all and savour the chana chaat.
• Take the chickpeas in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cups water.
• Place a bowl on top of the chickpeas. Rinse and keep a medium to large potato inside the bowl. You can skip the potato if you want.
• Cover tightly with the lid and initially pressure cook on medium flame. When you start hearing the hissing sound in the cooker, lower the flame a bit and cook for 10 to 12 whistles.
• When the pressure falls on its own, remove the lid.
• Check the potato by sliding a knife or fork through it. The fork or knife should slide easily.
• Also check the chickpeas. You should be able to mash the cooked chickpeas easily. There should be no hardness in the center. The chickpeas should have a melt in the mouth texture. If the chickpeas is not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few more whistles.

preparation for chana chaat

• Drain all the water and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.
• Peel the potato once it becomes warm. Then chop and keep aside.
• Rinse, peel and then finely the onion, tomato and chilli. Also rinse and then finely chop some coriander leaves. Keep aside.

making chana chaat

• Take the cooked chickpeas in a mixing bowl.
• Add all the spice powders - kashmiri red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and chaat masala. Add both black salt and regular salt as per taste. you can also add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
• Add the chopped potatoes. mix very well so the spice powders, salts coats the potatoes and chana.
• Add the finely chopped onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or add as required.
• Again mix very well. Check the taste and you can add salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, green chillies, lemon juice more if you want.
• Serve chana chaat in a bowl instantly. While serving chana chaat garnish with some coriander leaves and sev. Adding sev is optional. You can even garnish with some crushed papdi or pani poori.

Notes

1. You could adjust the spice powders, black salt and lime juice as per your taste
2. When you boil the chana, add some salt to the water in which you would boil the chana.
3. Do not add green chilli if you do not want to eat a spicy and hot chaat.
4. If you want to serve the chana chaat cold, then do not add the crushed pooris and coriander leaves before keeping the chaat in the fridge. When you serve the cold chaat, then you add the crushed pooris and coriander leaves.
5. The chana chaat will be warm if you have freshly cooked the chana and are not using leftover cooked chana.
6. To cook the chana or chickpeas in a pot or pan, soak the chickpeas overnight. The add 3 to 4 cups water in a pan with the soaked chickpeas and salt. Also add a few drops of oil, so that the foaming and frothing are reduced. If the water froths too much, then cook without the lid. 

Nutrition Info Approximate values

Nutrition Facts

Chana Chaat

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Sodium 363mg16%

Potassium 789mg23%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 460IU9%

Vitamin C 16.7mg20%

Calcium 86mg9%

Iron 5.4mg30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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