Chana Chaat
About this Recipe
Chana Chaat is a medley of sweet, spicy and tangy flavours from the streets of South Asia where it is considered a ‘quick on the go’ snack.
Chaat is one of my favourite dishes as it can be put together very quickly and works well as lunch, snack or a side dish. It also allows creative play with a wide variety of ingredients, so if you don’t have an item on hand it is easy to substitute with another.
- 4 cups boiled chickpeas
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 to 1 red onion finely chopped (depends on the size of the onion)
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 3 mini cucumbers diced
- 2 green chillies finely chopped (optional)
- 4 tbsp fresh Coriander leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh Mint leaves chopped
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 1/4 tsp Chilli powder
- 1 1/4 tsp Black salt
- Salt, add to taste
- 1 1/4 tsp Dried Mango Powder or Amchur Powder
- 1/2 Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 1/4 cup Date and Tamarind Chutney (make your own, or buy ready made at a South Asian store)
- 1.5 cups Dates pitted
- 1/2 cup Tamarind soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
- Jaggery (if more sweetness required)
- 2 teaspoons Red chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
- Salt, add to taste
Step by Step Instructions – Date and Tamarind Chutney
Step 1
Heat 2.5 cups of water in a saucepan on medium heat; add the dates and allow it to cook in the water until soft and tender.
Step 2
Discard the water in the tamarind bowl, remove any tamarind seeds and add to the saucepan. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the tamarind and date mixture start to boil.
Step 3
Turn off the heat and cool the mixture then puree to your preferred consistency. For this recipe I like a medium consistency, not watery but not very thick either.
Step 4
Strain the chutney mixture through a fine sieve to remove any residue.
Step 5
Store the Date and Tamarind Chutney in an air tight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. This chutney will last a long time, so you can make big batches and store in the fridge.
Step by Step Instructions – Chaat
Step 1
Soak the chickpeas overnight in water and add 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Bicarb soda is good for tenderizing chickpeas and presoaking makes it more digestible).
Step 2
Once they are soaked, drain the water and pressure cook them for 12-14 minutes, drain and keep aside to cool. Alternately they can be boiled until tender.
Step 3
Take a large bowl and add the following to it: cooled chickpeas, onions, cucumbers, carrots, green chillies, salt and all the dry spices. Mix all the ingredients very well with a spoon.
Step 4
Add the Date and Tamarind Chutney and lemon juice and mix well.
Step 5
Cover and place the bowl in the fridge for 2-4 hours. This allows the flavours from the spices and the chutney to be absorbed into the chickpeas. If there is no time, then it can be served right away.
Step 6
When ready garnish with pomegranate seeds, coriander and mint leaves.
Chana Chaat is a nutritious dish that contains Proteins, Carbohydrates and High Fibre from chickpeas. The Quercetin and Bioflavonoids from the onion help scavenge the free radicals and the Vitamin A from carrots is essential for eye health. In addition, the Cucumbers help flush out toxins and keep the body hydrated..
