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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Kala Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea Salad

    Published: Jan 31, 2023 by Shilpa · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 39 votes
    Kala chana chaat is a healthy, filling, and nutritious salad made using black chickpeas, veggies, herbs, and spices. This protein-rich salad is made without any oil and can be enjoyed as a light lunch. Vegan and gluten-free.
    Kala chana chaat.
    Jump to:
    • About this recipe
    • What is kala chana (and cooking tips)
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Useful tips
    • FAQs
    • Bonus
    • Recipe card
    • Comments
    Black chickpeas salad.

    About this recipe

    Kala chana chaat is a popular Indian street food similar to a chickpea salad and has a burst of flavors and textures. This tangy and spicy dish is made with boiled black chickpeas, veggies, and spices. It is healthy and protein-rich and is also great for a quick and filling lunch.

    Black chickpea salad is very easy to make once you have boiled the chickpeas. Kala chana salad has bold and complex flavors with all the ingredients complimenting each other beautifully.

    Chaat (or chat) is a wide variety of foods that are sold in roadside shops or carts and street vendors in India. These street foods are extremely popular, unique, and oh-so-delicious. 'Chaat' literally translates to 'lick' in Hindi. Every state and region of India has its own set of popular chaats that are all so unique and delicious.

    Make this no-oil salad in 5 minutes and enjoy it as a healthy snack or filling lunch. Read on to known more about black chickpeas, ingredients, and instructions to make this plant-based salad, also popularly called kala chana chaat.

    Kala chana chaat.

    What is kala chana (and cooking tips)

    Kala chana literally translates to black chickpeas. This name can be somewhat inaccurate as they are actually brown or reddish-brown in color. They are a variety of garbanzo beans that is native to the Indian subcontinent. Black chickpeas are also called whole Bengal gram or desi chana. They are smaller than white chickpeas and have tougher skin.

    Black chickpeas are considered to have high fiber and are a good source of plant-based protein. They have a low glycemic index and help you stay full for longer. They are also considered a rich source of iron and are given to lactating mothers and young kids.

    Boiled kala chana.

    Cooking them in a pressure cooker is really easy. Follow these simple steps to get the perfect texture.

    Soak:

    The best way to cook them perfectly is to soak them first and then boil them in an Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. It must be soaked overnight or at least for 3-4 hours. Once they are soaked, drain all the water and rinse them thoroughly in fresh running water. This is an important step and cannot be skipped.

    Add water and salt:

    For soaked chana, you will need 1:2 water, i.e., for every cup of soaked kala chana, use 2 cups of water. For unsoaked chana, you will need 1:3 water, i.e., for every cup of soaked kala chana, use 3 cups of water. Use one teaspoon of salt for every cup of unsoaked chickpeas.

    Pressure cook:

    If you are using an Instant Pot, pressure cook soaked chana for 15 minutes and unsoaked chana for 45 minutes. Do a natural pressure release.

    If you are using a stovetop cooker, place the cooker on a high flame and let the pressure build. Then, reduce it to medium flame and cook for 3 whistles. This should take 12-15 minutes. Release the pressure naturally.

    Ingredients

    Kala chana chaat ingredients.

    Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas. If you use dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and boil them until they are tender.

    Veggies: I have used onions, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber.

    Spices: We will need chili powder, chaat masala, and kala namak (Indian black salt). You can replace chili powder with cayenne. You can find chaat masala and kala namak in Indian grocery stores.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Take boiled black chickpeas to a bowl. To this, add onion, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint leaves.

    Take cooked chickpeas and salad veggies in a bowl.

    Next, add lemon juice, chaat masala, chili powder, black salt, and salt.

    Add spices and lemon juice.

    Give it a good mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.

    Toos the salad.

    Serve immediately or store for up to one day.

    Ready to be served.

    Useful tips

    Adjust the spices and chutneys used as per your liking. For example, skip the green chilies when you are making this for kids.

    It is best to serve it immediately or eat it within 24 hours. If you plan to make it ahead, keep everything ready in the refrigerator and mix just before serving.

    Other ingredients that go very well with this salad are avocado, boiled potatoes, and raw mangoes.

    You can use canned black chickpeas to make this salad. Drain the water from the can and rinse them well before using it.

    You may also like:

    1. Kachumber.
    2. Cabbage salad.
    3. Tomato salad.
    4. Grilled paneer salad.
    Kala chana chaat.

    FAQs

    Can I replace chickpeas in this chaat?

    Yes. You can make this chaat with white chickpeas (garbanzo beans), peanuts, or corn. Boil them until they are well-cooked but not mushy and use them as per this recipe. You can also use sprouted mung beans instead of boiled chickpeas. This dish also tastes great with canned mixed beans.

    Should I soak black chickpeas before boiling them?

    While soaking the kala chana reduces the cooking time immensely, you can boil them even without soaking them. I have shared above how to cook soaked chickpeas in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. If you have not soaked them, increase the pressure cooking time to 45 minutes.

    What is kala namak?

    Kala namak is a sulfurous pungent-smelling black Indian salt that is used in Indian cooking. It is also called Himalayan black salt and comes from the Himalayan region. It is commonly used in chutneys, snacks, kachumber salad, and raita. It is also sprinkled on fruits to add taste and flavor. Black salt has been mentioned in Ayurveda and is considered a cooling spice that is used as a healing agent.

    What is chaat masala?

    Chaat masala is a spice mix that is commonly used in Indian street foods and savory snacks. It is made with dried mango powder, black Indian salt (kala namak), cumin powder, and several other spices. It is easily available in Indian grocery stores or other online stores.

    Kala chana chaat.

    Bonus

    This kala chana chaat is:
    - healthy and nutritious and filling,
    - no oil, plant-based salad that is high in protein,
    - vegan and gluten-free.

    Kala chana salad.

    Recipe card

    Black chickpeas salad.

    Kala Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea Salad

    Kala chana chaat is a healthy, filling, and nutritious salad made using black chickpeas, veggies, herbs, and spices. This protein-rich salad is made without any oil and can be enjoyed as a light lunch. Vegan and gluten-free.
    5 from 39 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: Shilpa
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 6
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups black chickpea boiled (see notes)
    • ½ small red onion chopped
    • 1 small cucumber diced
    • 1 small carrot grated
    • 4-5 cherry tomatoes cut into quarter
    • 1 small green chili finely chopped
    • ½ lemon or lime
    • 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon mint leaves finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
    • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Take boiled black chickpeas in a bowl. To this, add onion, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint leaves.
    • Next, add lemon juice, chaat masala, chili powder, black salt, and salt. Give it a good mix.
    • Taste and adjust seasoning.
    • Serve immediately or store for up to one day.

    Notes

    Cooking them in a pressure cooker is really easy. Follow these simple steps to get the perfect texture.
    Soak: The best way to cook them perfectly is to soak them first and then boil them in an Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. It must be soaked overnight or at least for 3-4 hours. Once they are soaked, drain all the water and rinse them thoroughly in fresh running water. This is an important step and cannot be skipped.
    Add water and salt: For soaked chana, you will need 1:2 water, i.e., for every cup of soaked kala chana, use 2 cups of water. For unsoaked chana, you will need 1:3 water, i.e., for every cup of soaked kala chana, use 3 cups of water. Use one teaspoon of salt for every cup of unsoaked chickpeas.
    Pressure cook: If you are using an Instant Pot, pressure cook soaked chana for 15 minutes and unsoaked chana for 45 minutes. Do a natural pressure release.
    If you are using a stovetop cooker, place the cooker on a high flame and let the pressure build. Then, reduce it to medium flame and cook for 3 whistles. This should take 12-15 minutes. Release the pressure naturally.
    Nutrition Facts
    Kala Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    231
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    3
    g
    5
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    0.02
    g
    0
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    0.04
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    0.01
    g
    Sodium
     
    252
    mg
    11
    %
    Potassium
     
    595
    mg
    17
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    40
    g
    13
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    11
    g
    22
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1743
    IU
    35
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    12
    mg
    15
    %
    Calcium
     
    133
    mg
    13
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Gen says

      February 01, 2023 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      I’d never tried black chickpeas before and just loved this recipe! The freshness from the vegetables and herbs mixed with the chickpeas made a delicious work lunch. Thank you for the recipe!

    2. Rachna says

      February 01, 2023 at 10:13 pm

      5 stars
      This kala chana salad is my go to when I am craving a healthy and filling snack. I love the taste of chaat masala in this chaat. The crunch of veggies is so tasty too. My family loves it.

    3. Sue says

      February 02, 2023 at 9:16 am

      5 stars
      I made this with white chickpeas as that is what I already had. Love the flavors and textures of this salad! Can't wait to have it again, will be looking for black chickpeas this time!

    4. Healing Tomato says

      February 02, 2023 at 5:35 pm

      5 stars
      Kala chana is my childhood favorite. We used to make a salad just like this, so I was so happy to see your recipe. I made it yesterday and ate it all by myself. It's so delicious.

    5. Kris says

      February 02, 2023 at 9:32 pm

      5 stars
      This was one of the most unique and tasty salads I've ever had! Such pleasing textures and flavors all around. Already can't wait to make it again! 🙂

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    Namaste and welcome to Easy Indian Cookbook, where you'll find simple and delicious recipes with an Indian flair! I'm Shilpa, and I'm passionate about bringing the flavors of my culture to your kitchen. Discover the convenience of wholesome and nourishing Indian cuisine with my recipes, crafted to be quick and hassle-free. So join me on this culinary journey, and let's create delicious, homemade meals that celebrate the vibrant and diverse flavors of India! Read More…

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