They say …..”Variety is the Spice of Life”.
This is true especially when it comes to food.
Lately, I was getting bored eating the typical salads with all kinds of beans and I wanted to oomph up the flavor as well as texture. Upon shopping my pantry (which we a lot of times forget to do), I realized that I had 2 cans of Kala Channa/ Brown Chickpeas hidden behind other cans. So I decided to make a tangy chaat.
If you are not familiar with Brown Chickpea/ Kala Channa, today is your lucky day.
Brown Chickpea also known as kala channa or Ceci Neri is one legume bursting with nutrition. It has….
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High Fiber
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High Potassium
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High Protein
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High Iron
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Low Fat
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Low Sodium
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High Vitamin Content
There are multiple ways you can use kala channa, both for hot and cold dishes. You can simply add canned/boiled channas to salads to up the protein and fiber content or make a tangy chaat or you can make kalay chanay ka salan (curry) (recipe coming soon) and enjoy with rice.
In today’s recipe, the only cooked item is the kala channa itself, the rest of the items are raw and you can add as many veggies to it as you like. This is just the basic recipe. Tweak it to make it your own.
This chaat is…..
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Gluten-Free
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Vegan
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Oil Free
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Sugar-Free
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Low in Carbs
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High in Protein
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High in Fiber
That should give you loads of reasons to try it.
I made this chaat using canned kala channa (buy from the international market near your or Amazon
) as it saves me time but you can also buy it in bulk and boil it (saves money).
) as it saves me time but you can also buy it in bulk and boil it (saves money).Another thing to always have on hand when making Pakistani snacks is Chaat Masala.
Chaat Masala
is a spice blend which adds the umami to all South Asian recipes. A must for your spice collection if you like to explore different flavors.
is a spice blend which adds the umami to all South Asian recipes. A must for your spice collection if you like to explore different flavors.Now on to the recipe…..
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
| Passive Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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Ingredients
- 2 cans Kala Channa/Black ChickPeas (Drained)
- 2-4 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 medium Onion (Chopped)
- 1 large Tomato (Chopped)
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper (Chopped)
- 1-2 Serrano Chilli (De-seeded and chopped)
- 1 bunch Cilantro Chopped
- 1-2 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (Omit if you want less spicy)
- Salt (To taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Salt (Optional)
- Cilantro, lemon, chilli (Garnish)
Ingredients
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Instructions
- In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix well. Taste-test to check the spices and the tang/heat.
- Before serving garnish with cilantro, chilli and slices of lemon
- Enjoy hot/cold.
Recipe Notes
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If using dry chickpeas, soak 1 cup for at least 8-9 hours or preferably overnight. Rinse them in the morning and boil. Let them cool before adding to this recipe
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For a hot version, warm the black chickpeas in the microwave before adding the rest of the ingredients. Make sure to consume it right away.
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You can omit the chilli if you want a mild chaat.
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This is just the basic version. Feel free to add any veggies of your choice.
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Store the leftover chaat in the refrigerator. The life of it will depend on the type of veggies added.
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