Chana Chaat (Spiced Chickpea Salad)
Chaat (literally “to lick” in Hindi) describes a whole family of Indian street snacks — sweet, salty, tangy and spicy all in one bite. This chana (chickpea) version is one of the simplest and quickest to make at home, with no cooking required.
Ingredients
- 400 g cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tomatoes, diced small
- 1 cucumber, diced small
- 1 boiled potato, diced (optional)
- 2 tbsp tamarind (imli), dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
- 1 tsp ground cumin, lightly toasted
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
-
1
Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes, then squeeze the pulp to extract its concentrated juice. Strain to remove fibres and seeds.
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2
In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and potato if using.
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3
Add the tamarind juice, mango powder, toasted cumin, chilli powder and asafoetida.
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4
Mix gently to coat all the ingredients evenly.
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5
Add the lime juice, season with salt, and adjust to taste.
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6
Scatter with fresh coriander and serve immediately, chilled.
Tips
For an even more authentic touch, drizzle with mint-coriander chutney and a scatter of sev (fried chickpea noodles) just before serving. Only season and dress it at the last moment: the vegetables will release water and make the chaat soggy if it sits too long. Chana chaat also works warm, with the chickpeas lightly reheated, as well as chilled on a hot summer day.
Spices used
Find the spices from this recipe in our shop.
Tamarind (Imli)
Green Mango Powder (Amchur)
Cumin Powder
Asafoetida (Hing)
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