- Prep time15 mins
- Cook time0 mins
- Servings4
- DifficultyEasy
- CategoryDesi
Chaat is architecture: every bite should hit sweet, sour, salty and crunchy at once. Chana chaat builds that on chickpeas — creamy inside, holding their shape — layered with sharp onion, juicy tomato, cool yogurt and tamarind. The final snowfall of sev and a pinch of chaat masala go on at the very last second, because chaat waits for no one and soggy sev is a tragedy.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (400 g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed — or 3 cups boiled chickpeas
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 green chili, minced
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain yogurt, whisked smooth
- 3 tbsp tamarind chutney
- 2 tbsp mint chutney
- 1 tsp chaat masala, plus more to finish
- 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or black salt)
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup sev (crispy chickpea noodles)
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
- Put the chickpeas in a large bowl with the onion, tomatoes and green chili.
- Add the chaat masala, roasted cumin and salt. Toss well.
- Spoon over the whisked yogurt in ribbons, then drizzle the tamarind and mint chutneys.
- Top with pomegranate seeds and coriander. Taste and adjust — more tamarind for sweet, more lemon for sour.
- Shower with sev and an extra pinch of chaat masala at the table, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Tips for success
- Assemble just before serving — chaat starts softening within minutes.
- Black salt (kala namak) gives the authentic sulfurous chaat-shop tang.
- Warm chickpeas absorb the spices better; toss them with the masalas while still warm if freshly boiled.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from Huma in the Kitchen walkthrough covers the same chana chaat step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.