Kala chana chaat is a filling salad made using black chickpeas, fresh veggies, herbs, and aromatic spices. This tangy and spicy salad is a burst of bold and complex flavors, is made without any oil, and is naturally gluten-free and vegan.
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Kala chana chaat is a popular Indian street food that packs a burst of flavors and textures. Chaat (or chat), which translates to 'lick' in Hindi, is a unique and beloved category of street foods in India. It has a wide variety of foods that are sold in roadside shops or carts and street vendors in India.
This black chickpea salad is a perfect example, featuring the bold and complex flavors of black chickpeas, complemented by a medley of vegetables and spices. It is a dish that can be easily prepared in minutes, making it a convenient option for a satisfying meal on the go.
Why you will love this recipe?
- Burst of flavors and textures: This chickpea salad offers a delightful combination of tangy and spicy flavors, along with a medley of fresh vegetables, making it a dish with bold and complex taste profiles.
- Easy and quick to prepare: Kala chana salad can be easily prepared in minutes, making it a convenient and time-saving option for a satisfying meal on the go.
Ingredients
Black chickpeas: Boil the kala chana in a pressure cooker or
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
Step 1: Take boiled black chickpeas to a bowl. To this, add onion, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint leaves.
Step 2: Next, add lemon juice, chaat masala, chili powder, black salt, and salt.
Step 3: Give it a good mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve immediately or store for up to one day.
Expert 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.
Check out these recipes to make delicious sookhe chane, kala chana curry, and kala chana sundal.
Recipe FAQs
Kala chana translates to black chickpeas. This name can be somewhat inaccurate as they are brown or reddish-brown. They are a variety of garbanzo beans that are 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.
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.
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
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. Black salt is commonly used in chutneys, snacks, kachumber salad, and raita. It is also sprinkled on fruits to add taste and flavor.
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.
More chaat recipes
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Recipe card
Kala Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea Salad
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.
Gen says
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!
Rachna says
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.
Sue says
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!
Healing Tomato says
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.
Kris says
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! 🙂