Kala Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

FAQs

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.

Recipe card

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.