Best Indian Chickpea Chaat Salad Recipes

CHANA CHAAT

Steps:

• 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 etc and enjoy the chole 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, then only 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 minutes.
• 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.
• 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. For some tang, you can also add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
• Add the chopped potatoes. Mix very well so the spice powders and salt coats the potatoes and chickpeas.
• 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 garnish with some coriander leaves and sev. Adding sev is optional. You can even garnish with some crushed papdi or pani poori.

PUNJABI-STYLE CHICKPEA SALAD

Steps:

• Heat a small saucepan and toast the cumin seeds until aromatic and slightly browned, then grind to a coarse powder using a pestle and mortar.
• Put all the ingredients, including the ground cumin, in a bowl and mix well. Season generously; add more chaat masala and lemon juice if needed. Leave for 30 mins to let the flavours combine.