How to Make Chickpea Salad (Chana Chat)

I like to cook and eat natural, healthy, and tasty foods, and I enjoy sharing recipes from my native Indian cuisine.

A Perfect Snack

Making chickpea salad or chana chat is simple and easy. To make it, you have to soak the chickpeas at least for 7 to 8 hours or overnight. If you look at the nutritional profile of this chat, you'll see that it's a high-fiber, high-protein, low-carbohydrate, cholesterol-free dish. Hence, it is ideal for eating in between meals as a snack. Just have 3 to 4 tablespoons of it in a bowl. This salad is yummy and refreshing, too.

Quick Recipe Overview

You will be boiling the soaked chickpeas, adding chopped raw vegetables and spices to them, and stirring the salad to mix the seasonings. That's it!

Let me share the detailed recipe below.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 2 cups black chickpeas, soaked in water for 7 to 8 hours and boiled
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 1/4 cup carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chat masala
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or as per taste

Instructions

1. Soak chickpeas in water for 8 hours or overnight. Add turmeric powder and salt to the chickpeas. Boil it in a pressure cooker up to 2 whistles, and simmer for 12 minutes. Turn off the stove.
2. Remove the cooker lid when the pressure releases naturally. Strain the mixture. Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl.
3. Add chopped onions, tomatoes, grated carrots, green chilies, coriander leaves, chat masala, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well.
4. Black chickpea salad (kala chana chat) is ready! Serve 4 tablespoons of this salad in a bowl. Enjoy eating the delicious legume salad!

Photo Guide

Step one: Soak the chickpeas in water for 8 hours or overnight.

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Comments

ShailaSheshadri (author) from Bengaluru on September 15, 2017:

Thanks for going through my hub. Overnight means from 10pm till morning 6 am, that is 8 hours. You will get bubbles only after 12-14 hours. Then also you can change the water and use immediately. Taste will not be different.

peachy from Home Sweet Home on September 15, 2017:

Do you need to soak the chickpeas overnight? I found that bubbles would form and stale smell if soak overnight