This simple chana chaat recipe is a quick and easy Pakistani/Indian chickpea salad, which can be served as a snack, appetizer, or a side, that comes together in 10 minutes!
Every Pakistani (or Indian) household, has different memories or traditions when it comes to chaat. For some, it’s a snack at Iftar time, after a day of fasting for Ramadan. For others, it is a roadside snack after an afternoon of intense shopping.
For us, chaat was something that we would enjoy halfway on an afternoon of shopping when visiting Karachi. This meal of chaat would hold you over for somewhere after lunch, and a super late dinner. We would order different chaat dishes, to share amongst the group, while intensely planning the shopping trip for the rest of the afternoon.
Other times, at home, chaat was best enjoyed as a Sunday afternoon snack. A replacement for lunch.
What is Chaat?
Chaat is a family of snacks that are popular in India and Pakistani, typically enjoyed from roadside vendors.
Most chaat snacks start out with chickpeas or other fried dishes like puri (crispy flatbread), or samosas or some combination of them. They’re then often topped with vegetables like crunchy onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Some include yogurt. Others include a variety of chutneys.
Everyone has their own version of chaat, but most versions of chaat include a mix of flavors – sweet, salty, tangy, along with a variety of textures – fresh, crunchy, refreshing!
Chana Chaat Recipe
This particular chaat recipe is a popular variation called chana chaat or choley chaat; chana or choley means chickpeas in Urdu/Hindi.
Our chana chaat recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and literally involves taking all the ingredients and adding them together.
Make the base:
Start off, with preparing chickpeas. You can either cook dry chickpeas, or use a tin of prepared chickpeas. We prefer to boil them just a bit, to make them more tender. But that’s a personal preference.
Add the extras:
Then add onions, cilantro, cumin powder, and chilli. You can also add tomatoes if you like!
Add the sauces:
This dish is where imli chutney (tamarind chutney) really shines! You can add yogurt, or skip it, depending on your preferences.
Finish with some crunch:
Top with something crunchy like sev, or puri (crispy flatbread). If you have neither, you could even try a plain, unsweetened cereal like Cornflakes, and Rice Krispies!
How to serve Chana Chaat
Chana Chaat is best served right after it is made, so it doesn’t get soggy.
This is a perfect snack for a lazy summer afternoon, but I know mom would eat chaat anytime, any day!
You can also serve this chana chaat as a salad or side dish to a light dinner like with these beef cutlets!
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Chana Chaat
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 1 can / 250 g
- 1 Onion
- 2 tbsp Cilantro
- 1 tsp Cumin powder preferably roasted
- Crushed chilli or chilli powder to taste
- 2 tbsp Imli Chutney
- 2-3 tbsp Yogurt optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpeas: Strain your chickpea tin and boil in water for 3-5 minutes. Strain and cool.
- Once the chickpeas are cooled, in a medium sized bowl, add the chickpeas, onion, cilantro, cumin powder, chilli powder and imli (tamarind) chutney. Toss together to mix well!
- Optional: top with puri or sev for some crunch.
- Serve immediately.