Warm chana/chickpeas chaat is a spicy and tangy chaat snack made with chickpeas, boiled potatoes, spice powders, onions, tamarind chutney, tomatoes and lemon. It is perfect to serve as a snack or a warm appetizer.
Last weekend was eventful.We celebrated our little munchkin's first birthday. I made her a smash cake and we also got an adult cake. Her reaction towards both the cakes was the same - she cried. I think the flickering candle frightened her. It's so funny that they react completely different to how you think they might.
Taking advantage of fading winters, I made this warm chaat this weekend. The weather out here is not yet hot for a crisp cold salad & a bit too warm for soups, this chaat drizzled with imli (tamarind) chutney & tossed with fresh mint leaves perfectly fitted the onset of spring mood.
In India, chaat is a savory preparation very popular as street food. There are few base ingredients which essentially form part of chaat- chopped onions or grated radish/cucumber for crunch, chaat masala (tangy spice powder), tamarind chutney adds that saucy, tart layer while the green chutney & cilantro (or mint)adds the much needed freshness.
The yogurt adds the acidity as well as cools down the palate.These are the common usually the toppings without which a bowl of chaat is incomplete. However, you can pick or omit any as per your taste.Chaat could be layering of fried dough or diced up fruits cut up and mixed together.
I like how healthy and filling this recipe turned out. You can also use black chickpeas(kala chana) or green mung sprouts in this recipe and it works fine. It can be served as a perfect appetizer as well as for a snack. All the prep work like boiling chickpeas, potatoes, making the chutney, chopping toppings etc can be done a day before and then its just tossing everything together.
Warm Chickpea Chaat
Ingredients
For Chana Chaat
- 1 cup chickpeas boiled /canned
- 1 large potato boiled, peeled & diced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon anardana dry pomegranate seeds, skip if not available
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon kala namak indian black salt
- 1 tablespoon cilantro & mint
- ¼ cup chickpea stock or water
Chaat Toppings
- ⅓ cup chopped onions
- chopped tomatoes
- Tamarind Sauce imli ki chutney
For Tamarind Sauce (Imli ki chutney)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup tamarind pulp store-bought or homemade
- ¾ - 1 cup cup jaggery powder or granulated sugar, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon hot red chili powder adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon black salt kala namak
- ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ⅓-1/2 cup water as needed
Instructions
For The Chana Chaat
- In a pan, heat up the oil. Add the ginger and green chillies, Saute a little and then add the chickpeas and potatoes..
- Sprinkle the kala namak, chaat masala, anardana, roasted cumin powder and lemon juice.
- Mix well so that the spices coat the chickpeas & potatoes.
- Add a splash of chickpea stock(or water) and mix together. You will see that the chickpeas are soft. Using back of spoon, smush a few chickpeas. This makes the chaat a little thickish.
- Remove from heat & add the chaat toppings as per taste. Toss well and serve immediately.
Tamarind Sauce Recipe (Imli Ki Chutney)
- In a small sauce pot, heat the oil. Once heated add the cumin seeds, as soon as the cumin starts to crackle, add all the tamarind sauce ingredients listed in recipe card except water.
- Simmer the for atleast 15 minutes, stirring in between till the chutney starts to thicken. You can adjust water once the chutney has simmered. It will thicken more on cooling. Remove from heat, let cool, transfer to a container.
- Let cool completely. This can sit for unto 3 weeks in a refrigerator.Use a clean spoon to serve.
Notes
- You can add cucumber, grated radish, pomegranate seeds, sev, crushed papris, roasted peanuts etc to add more texture and crunch.
Rosa Mayland
Scrumptious and healthy! The kind of chickpea dish I could eat on a daily basis.
Cheers,
Rosa
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
SO mouthwatering!! Awww, munchkin grows up so quickly!! Time flies 🙂
Tanvi
Ya she is all over the house which is like her playground now 🙂 Thanks dear
Tanvi (@Tanvii)
Yummmmm!!!!
Aruna Panangipally
So reminds me of Chennai's beach sundal!
Tanvi
I Love sundals - with all the curry leaf & coconut sprinkles - absolute fav! Thanks for reminding me to make soon 🙂
Nandita
Belated birthday wishes to your munchkin. The chaat looks so mouthwatering. A wonderful snack for any time of the day 🙂
Tanvi
Thank you Nandita.
Deepa
Healthy and tasty looking chikpea salad. Excellent preparation.
Deepa
Riddhi
Looks delish! I absolutely loouu this salad. Gorgeous pics! 🙂
Tanvi
Thanks so much xx
spicesandpisces
I can eat anything with chickpeas and imli chutney. I brought a salad/chaat which is a deviation from this one. It's uncooked and replaced the potato with avocado. No imli chutney, just lemon juice. Indian chaats are so versatile, you can tweak it so many ways. Loved the warm tone of the pictures. The mint picture is so spring like 🙂
Tanvi
Right..chaat is probably the best 'suit to your taste' kind of food. I always keep a jar of imli chutney in my fridge,its my fav to go condiment. Now I am intrigued by avocado in a chaat- tell me how was it?
spicesandpisces
Mine is a cheater's chaat you can say. :p I cut up an avocado in small pieces and then add onions, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, cooked chickpeas, black salt, lemon juice, chopped green chili to it. Mix and then eat. very filling and healthy. Tastes very good.
Shibi @ FlavzCorner
That chaat looks awesome!!! I can eat that everyday!!! Loved the clicks too!!!
Zarine Mohideen
You take the best pictures, Tanvi!
Tanvi
Thanks xx
Kankana
Happy Belated Birthday to your lil angel. I remember she was a valentine gift for you guys. Hard to forget the date 🙂
Kid's reaction, seriously! The other day I went to my friend's place and her 3+ month old baby who is such a happy kid and smiles all the times at me, suddenly got scared and started crying so badly. Eventually I realized, I tickled her feet, super cute they were and I didn't know that would scare the shit of out her LOL LOL
Tanvi
Thanks dear. LOL..see how could anyone think that someone would cry when tickled..but you never know babies..mine surprises me every day 🙂