- Submitted by Dahlia on 16th Sep 2011
(Chickpea Salad, Spicy Bean Salad, Indian Salad with Garbanzo Beans)
Today I am going to share the healthiest chaat variety with all of you. I personally believe that all Chaats are healthy if they are made in a clean environment with minimized use of the fried papdi and sev and with lots of healthy veggies and fruits. But today’s chaat recipe is just not healthy but its power packed with highest amounts of protein, fiber and minerals. Besides, it is one of those chaats where there is no oil, no sugar, no fat and it is gluten free. This chaat is so unique that we can serve it as an evening snack, salad or even a starter. I am talking about the chaat variant made using Chana or chickpea.
Actually, I got the idea of Chana chaat when I was searching for salads that can aid in weight loss and learnt that Chana or chickpea plays a significant role in not only keeping our stomach full for longer hours thus enabling less eating, but also nourishes our body with all the essential nutrients.
Chana, well known as chick pea is a legume that is nutrient dense providing rich protein content, dietary fiber, folate and dietary minerals like iron and phosphorous. Soaking and cooking of Chana increase the protein quality, protein digestibility and essential amino acid index. I make this chaat once in 2 weeks as it is loved by my children. 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. Now... who would resist is this simple, easy, lip smacking chaat full of health?? What are you waiting for?? Get set to make this spicy, tangy and irresistible Chana chaat. Cheers!!
Recipe for Channa Chaat
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Serves: 4
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 (de-seeded and chopped)
- Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
- Cilantro - 2 tbsp (Chopped)
- Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
- Red Chili Powder - to taste
- Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
- Black Salt (or white salt) - to taste
- Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
- Sev – for garnish
- Cilantro – for garnish
- Optional - You can also include other vegetables like raw mango, grated carrot, grated beetroot etc to the chaat.
Method
-
Soak the chickpeas for 6-8 hours. I have used brown chickpeas here as that is my favorite but you can use any variety.
- Pressure cook with some salt for 3-4 whistles or till the chickpeas are soft. (You can also use slow cooker method for soaking and cooking.)
- After the pressure is gone, strain the chickpeas in a separate bowl.
- 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.)
- Add the cumin powder, green chutney, red chili powder, salt, lemon juice and chaat masala.
- Toss everything together. Taste it and adjust anything if needed.
- 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.
More Chaat Recipes