Why Channa Chaat is a Hosting Staple
Delicious Channa chaat (Chickpea chaat) is a beloved dish in our family, and for good reason. It’s tangy, high in protein with 26g of protein per serve. You can also make it ahead of time, which makes it the perfect recipe for entertaining.
Here are a few different tips in making this time efficient:
- You can boil the chick peas the night before or use a tinned can.
- Cut the vegetables the night before or the morning of the party
- Papri can be made up to 2 weeks in advance if it’s stored in an airtight container.
- If your unable to make the chutneys from scratch then that’ll always be best but If your can’t then they can always be purchased from an Indian grocery
- Depending on how much time is available constraints they chutneyscan either be bought or made fresh. Off-course fresh chutney will always give a better flavour, the imli chutney can keep fresh in the fridge for 6 months and the coriander chutney can stay fresh for 1 week.
- You can assemble this whole dish leaving out the papri so it doesn’t go soggy and add this at the serving stage This party favourite bursts with tangy flavours that leave guests craving more!
The Secret Behind the Tangy Flavours
The magic of channa chaat lies in its tangy chutneys: imli chutney (tamarind chutney) and coriander chutney. These two chutneys combined, create a flavour explosion that truly defines this dish. My mum’s imli chutney is especially renowned among her friends, and I can’t wait to share this family recipe with you soon. Meanwhile, you’ll find our coriander chutney recipe here, and it’s best made a day in advance to let the flavours develop properly.
Spices That Make It Unique
Channa Chaat is infused with a variety of aromatic spices including dry roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera) being the staple spice for this dish. To make this spice, simply dry roast cumin seeds until they darken, cool them, and grind them into powder. Want to know my mums secret ingredient for this spice?
Level up your flavours for roasted cumin seed powder (Bhuna Jeera)
roast 1/2 cup cumin seeds for 3-4 min on high, then place it in a spice grinder with 1 tsp of black salt and mix until it resembles a powder.
Okay so here’s the thing, my mum makes it look super easy to make this yummy chaat but in reality duplicating her recipes comes with some practice and a well stocked fridge. I would love to get into her staples in the fridge and pantry that she restocks on a regular basis to make these beautiful authentic recipes with ease. So what sets this recipe apart is her use of home made ingredients like the chutneys, chaat masala and even the yogurt. Now we know it’s not always possible, on a time crunch so thankfully you can source these ingredients ready made, but I implore you to try these from scratch just once to experience the taste difference for your selves.
Variations
Feel free to change the recipe up, the base flavours are what you need to keep like the yogurt, spices and papri. The peanut and pomegranate give this recipe a bit off extra crunch and complexity of flavours but they’re not essential to this recipe. You can also add other things like tomatoes or apple depending on your taste buds, the possibilities are endless!
Delicious Channa Chaat: A Tangy Family Favorite (Chickpea Chaat)
Course: Entree, SnackCuisine: Indian Chaat, EntreeDifficulty: Medium3
servings1
hour10
minutesIndian street food at it best, this Channa chaat will leave you wanting more.
Ingredients
Papri
1 cup flour
30 ml avocado oil + ½ tsp for rubbing
¼ cup water
¼ tsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
¼ tsp saltMain Ingredients
1 cup dry chickpeas or canned
1 boiled and peeled potato, diced
½ cucumber, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 tbsp coriander chutney
1 tbsp imli chutney
1 tbsp peanuts
¼ cup pomegranate OPTIONAL
1 green chilli, sliced finely
¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp Nylon sevYogurt mix
1 ½ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp saltSpices
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp chaat masala
1/8 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera)
Directions
- CHICKPEAS
1. If using dried chick peas: Soak dried chick peas in warm water for 4-6 hours or preferably over night)
If using canned chick peas skip the next step
2. Put the chick peas in a pot and bring to a boil until they are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Drain the chick peas and set aside for assembly. - YOGURT
1. Mix yogurt, sugar and salt. Set aside for assembly.
- PAPRI
1. In a bowl sift in flour, add the avocado oil and rub in with your fingers.
2. Slowly add the water and mix in with your hands until it resembles a tight dough. (roughly. 2-3 minutes)
3. Once the dough is formed rub in ½ tsp of avocado oil and wrap it in cling foil. Allow dough to rest for 15-30 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a circle and cut 1cm diamonds by cutting vertically then diagonally.
5. Scrape the diamonds with a knife. (its okay if they stick together a bit as they will separate in the oil)
6. Heat up a frying pot of oil and fry for 4-6 minutes on medium heat and stir every minute until the papri are a golden brown. (the bubbles become less in the oil when they are almost done).
7. Set aside for assembly.
NOTE: This will make more then required for this recipe however these can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. - Assembly
1. Place chickpeas in your desired plating dish
2. Drizzle ½ the yogurt onto the chickpeas in the circular motion.
3. Then add the diced potatoes, cucumber and onion in a circular motion.
4. Then sprinkle chaat masala, salt, chilli powder and ¼ tsp of roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera) evenly around the dish.
5. Drizzle the coriander chutney and imli chutney around the dish.
6. Then drizzle remaining yogurt and ¼ tsp of roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna jeera.
7. OPTIONAL: Add peanuts and pomegranate and green chilli. (you can pre-prep in the morning at this stage and leave it covered in the fridge).
8. Add the papri diamonds around the dish. Garnish with the coriander leaves and Nylon Sev. Serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- OPTIONAL: Add peanuts and pomegranate and green chilli. (you can pre-prep in the morning at this stage and leave it covered in the fridge).
