(Chikpea Salad, Spicy Bean Salad, Indian Salad with Garbanzo Beans)

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           Channa Chaat is a chikpea salad that is very simple to make but packed with nutrition and tastes great. It is a versatile recipe that you can make with whatever ingredients you have on hand. You can try with different types of beans and veggies and add all seasoning according to your taste. It is a great recipe that can be served as an evening snack, as a complete meal for people on diet, as an appetizer for parties and for picnics.
 
Ingredients
Black Chikpeas (Kala Channa) -  2 cups (You can also use white chikpeas, green chikpeas or any other type of beans)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Tomato - 2 (deseeded and chopped)
Green Chutney - 2 tsp
Boiled Potato - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Cucumber - 1/4 cup (deseeded and chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
Cilantro - 2 tblsp (Chopped)
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - to taste
Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
Black Salt (or white salt) - to taste
Lemon Juice - 2 tblsp
Sev – for garnish
Cilantro – for garnish
(You can also include other vegetables like raw mango, grated carrot, grated beetroot etc to the chaat.)
Method
1. Soak the chikpeas and pressure cook with some salt for 3-4 whistles or till the chikpeas are soft. (You can also use a slow cooker method for soaking and cooking.)
2. After the pressure is gone,  strain the chikpeas in a seperate bowl. 
3. Mix in the veggies. (You can add about 2 cups of assorted chopped vegetables like onion, tomato, cilantro, green chillies, capsicum, carrot, beetroot, raw mango, cucumber, boiled potato etc.)
4. Add the cumin powder, green chutney, chilly powder, salt, lemon juice and chaat masala.
5. Toss everything together. Taste it and adjust anything if needed.
6. Garnish with sev and serve. This tastes good when served warm or cold.
 
Tips
   - You can try making this chaat with different kinds of beans.
   - You can also mix in some sweetened yogurt while serving. This gives a new dimension to the whole dish.