Dish of Bengal Gram Chaat
(click to enlarge)

Chickpea Chaat


India, Uttar Pradesh   -   Kala Chana Chaat
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 1-3/4 #
**
40 min
Yes		 Made with Desi type Chickpeas (Kala Chana, Bengal Gram), this popular chaat is more substantial than most and could serve as a vegetarian lunch.

1
ar
1/2
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5
5
1
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1/2
1
1/4
1/2
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4
2
1
1
1/2
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c

T
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oz
oz

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t
t
t
t
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oz
T
T
T
t
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Kala Chana (1)  
Water
Salt (2)
-- Aromatics
Tomato
Onion
Chili, green (3)  
-- Spices
Cumin Seeds
Chaat Masala (4)
Chili Powder (5)
Amchur Powder (6)
-- Finish
Mango, ripe
Cilantro
Mint, fresh
Lemon Juice
Salt (7)
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Do Ahead   -   (9-1/2 hrs - 10 min work)
  1. Soak KALA CHANA (whole beans) 8 hours or overnight with enough Water to keep them submerged and 1/2 T Salt. Drain and rinse well.
  2. Place Kala Chana in a sauce pan with plenty of water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn to a simmer, cover and simmer until Chana is tender, about 55 minutes. Drain and cool completely.
Prep   -   (35 min)
  1. Chop TOMATO coarse. Chop ONION fine. Seed GREEN CHILI and chop fine. Mix all.
  2. Dry pan toast Cumin Seeds until aromatic and browned just a shade. Mix all Spices items.
  3. Mix together Kala Chana, Aromatics mix and Spices mix.
  4. Peel MANGO and chop coarse.
  5. Chop CILANTRO and MINT fine. Mix.
  6. Squeeze LEMON JUICE.
Serve   -   (5 min)
  1. When ready to serve, gently stir in Mango, Cilantro mix and Lemon Juice. Season with Salt.
NOTES:

  1. Kala Chana:

      [Desi type Chickpeas, Bengal Gram]   These can be found in markets serving an Indian community. Either the Red or the Dark Green (as in the photo example) can be used. for details see our Chickpeas (Bengal / Desi type). Regular Garbanzos (Kabuli Type Chana) could be used, but flavor and texture will be "less authentic".

  2. Salt:

      Tests have shown that beans soaked in salt brine will be more tender, cook faster and stay more intact than beans soaked without salt. For details see our Cooking Dried Beans page.

  3. Chili, Green:

      Indian hot green Chilis are not easy to find even here in Southern California, so we use a Serrano. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Chaat Masala:

      This is a very important seasoning for street vendors all over India, and in the home as well. It's quite easy to make - see our recipe Chaat Masala.

  5. Chili Powder

    Kashmir chili powder or a mild substitute (like Aleppo hot) would be appropriate for this northern recipe. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  6. Amchur Powder:

      [Amchoor, Aamchur]   This is dried unripe mango, a standard souring agent in much of India, with a citrus-like taste. It is sold both as dried slices and as powder. It can be had from specialty markets serving an Indian or multi-ethnic community. For details see our Spices page.

  7. Salt:

      A flaky "Finishing Salt" would be appropriate here. For details see our Salt page.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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