Kala chana chaat or black chana chaat is a savory, spicy, and tangy Indian street-side snack made with cooked black chickpeas and boiled potatoes. It is vegan and gluten-free and perfect for an appetizer for a party or potluck along with some masala chai.
It is very easy to make this Indian street food at home once you cook the black chickpeas and boil the potatoes. Black chickpeas and potatoes are mixed in sauteed spiced tomatoes and onions to make this delicious and mouth-watering chaat. It is usually served warm or hot and is also known as kala chana garam chaat.
If you freeze cooked black chickpeas for meal planning then this chaat can be made in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
Kala chana chaat is made with a few basic ingredients and spices easily found in the pantry. The main ingredient is kala chana also known as black chickpeas in English.
Either dry or soaked black chickpeas can be used but I personally prefer to soak them overnight. If you are out of black chickpeas, you can also replace them with garbanzo beans or green chickpeas.
You will also need tomatoes, onions, and potatoes, along with spices like garam masala and chaat masala. Chaat masala adds flavor and tanginess while garam masala makes this dish hot, so you can adjust it to your taste.
Some serrano peppers or green chilies are added for spiciness and you can easily adjust the amount to your preference.
Instructions
Making kala chana chaat involves boiling black chickpeas and potatoes and then mixing them in sauteed spiced tomatoes and onions.
Black chickpeas can be cooked in a pressure cooker like the instant pot, dry or soaked. If you use the dry kala chana, rinse them thoroughly under water and then pressure cook them in the ratio of 1:3 cups of dry bean to water.
I personally prefer to soak the black chickpeas overnight. It helps thoroughly clean the chickpeas, reduces cooking time, and avoids gassiness in some people.
Soaked chickpeas and potatoes can be cooked together in an instant pot. Here I have used small red potatoes and larger potatoes can take longer to pressure cook.
In the instant pot liner, put the soaked black chickpeas and water in a ratio of 1:2 and add some salt. Place a trivet inside the liner and then put the potatoes on top of it.
Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 12 minutes followed by a natural pressure release. You can also release any remaining pressure manually after 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Drain out any remaining liquid from the cooked black chickpeas and peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
Now you can make the kala chana chaat recipe in the instant pot or on the stovetop on medium flame. Just be sure to rinse the liner once before using it.
Turn on the saute mode on the normal setting and once the instant pot is hot, add oil followed by onions and serrano pepper. Saute the onions until they become translucent.
Add the tomatoes, salt, and garam masala until the tomatoes are well-cooked and mushy. Add in the boiled chana, cubed potatoes, and a teaspoon chaat masala. Mix everything well and turn the saute mode off. Delicious and mouthwatering kala chana chaat is now ready.
Variations
Kala chana chaat can be made in different ways. Some versions of kala chana chaat are more like black chickpea salad with all the raw ingredients mixed with black chickpeas and spices.
Another way to make it is to add potatoes to make kala chana aloo chaat while other variations might skip it.
You can also add some tamarind chutney to add a sweet and tangy taste.
Serving suggestions
This kala chana chaat is best served warm and is sometimes referred to as kala chana garam chaat.
While serving, garnish the chaat with some chopped cilantro and chopped onions. Add a few drops of lemon juice to enhance the taste and give it a perfect tanginess.
Storage
If you have any leftover chaat, you can allow it to cool down completely and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When you are ready to eat, you can reheat the chaat in the microwave.
If you want to plan ahead for a party or potluck to save time, you can just pressure cook the black chickpeas ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
You can then quickly saute the tomatoes, and onions along with the spices and mix the black chickpeas and boiled potatoes, and serve it hot.
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📖 Recipe
Kala Chana Chaat
Equipment
Ingredients
To pressure cook kala chana and potatoes.
- 1 cup Kala chana (brown chickpeas, preferable soak overnight)
- 2 Potatoes (small, or 1 medium)
- 2 cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
To make kala chana chaat
- 1 large Tomato (chopped)
- ¾ cup Onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Serrano pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For garnishing
- 2 teaspoon Lime juice
- 5 sprigs Cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Rinse and soak kala chana overnight or 6-8 hours in enough water.
Cook kala chana and potatoes in instant pot
- Discard the water used for soaking kala chana.
- Put the kala chana, 2 cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt in the instant pot liner.
- Place a trivet in the instant pot liner with 2 small size red potatoes on top of it.
- Close and lock the lid with the pressure knob in the sealing position.
- Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then remove the remaining pressure manually
- Peel and cube the potatoes.
- Discard the water from the kala chana.
- Transfer kala chana and potatoes to a bowl.
Making kala chana chaat
- Clean the instant pot liner and then turn the saute mode on the medium setting.
- Once the instant pot liner is hot, add oil.
- Once oil is hot, add onions and saute it for about 2-3 minutes until they are translucent.
- Add the serrano pepper, tomatoes, garam masala, and salt and continue to saute until tomatoes are well cooked and mushy.
- Add the cubed boiled potatoes, boiled kala chana, and chaat masala.
- Mix everything well and cancel the saute mode.
- Serve the chaat warm or hot and garnish with some lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Once the black chickpeas and potatoes are boiled, the chaat can also be made on the stovetop on medium flame.
- You can make this chaat without soaking kala chana and pressure cooking dry kala chana. Use ratio of 1:3 of dry kala chana to water and pressure cook for 50 minutes.
Foodie says
Super easy, heathy and awesome taste. Thanks for sharing!
Alpa Jain says
Hi Foodie,
Glad you liked the recipe.
Regards
Alpa