CHANAA CHAAT (BROWN CHICKPEAS SAVOURY SNACK)

Chanaa Chaat, today is one of the famous street foods of Mumbai. Brown chickpeas are cooked and combined with some onions and tomatoes with a sprinkling of chaat masala. Basic and simple ingredients are used in the preparation, but still it tastes totally delicious! During the days when I grew up, there were a very few street vendors and specially in our locality, they would be selling berries too!

What I would like to mention here, is that today street food culture is growing widely and many a times, hygiene is totally neglected. Hence, if we replicate these foods adding over own healthy twist to it, hygiene and nutrition can be taken care of. Still, there are certain such street foods, where for a while we do have to ignore the nutrition factor as these are deep fried and once a while it is okay to indulge oneself!

The roadside vendors add some butter while roasting the chickpeas, whereas I have used homemade ghee for the same as it imparts a unique delicious flavour to this dish and is good for health too! My mom always would prepare a basic stir fry with leftover soaked chickpeas with ghee and these basic spices and they would be devoured in a jiffy! I am using the same recipe, except that I have boiled the chickpeas first and added onions and tomatoes like the street vendors!

Brown chickpeas (also known as Desi or Kaalaa Chanaa) are the smaller version of regular chickpeas. Brown chickpeas have a lot of nutritional benefits. In India, they are used to prepare curries or stir fry vegetable preparation. These are even added in the preparation of certain other green vegetables. In every state, we can find different types of dishes made from these chickpeas.

For some more delicious dishes, do take a look at the following recipes too….

1. Fusion Chickoo Tacos
2. Aluwadi
3. Patravade
4. Sweet Potato Corn Chaat
5. Ram Laadoo

Here’s the recipe for the delicious street food of Mumbai, Chanaa Chaat….

Prep Time : 20 min

Cooking Time : 8-10 min

Serves : 4

Cup Used : 200 ml

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 cup Brown Chickpeas (Kaalaa Chanaa / Kaale Chane)
• 1 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Onions

• 1 cup Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 1/2 tsp Black Salt
• 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
• 2 tsp Homemade Ghee / Butter / Oil

For The Spice Mix :

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• Salt To Taste
• 1/4 cup Water

METHOD :

1. To make Chanaa Chaat, soak 1 cup black chickpeas overnight or for about 8 hours in sufficient water.
2. This will yield approximately 2 1/2 cup of soaked chickpeas.
3. Rinse them well and drain out all the water. Transfer the chickpeas to a pressure pan and add 2 cups water.
4. Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles on high flame and then for further 5 minutes on low flame.
5. Open the lid only when the pressure releases naturally. Drain out all the water and set aside.
6. This water can be used in other cooking like in soup or veg stock, etc. if desired as a healthy option.
7. Heat a kadhai and add ghee to it. When it heats up, add the boiled chickpeas and stir constantly on medium flame for about 4-5 minutes.
8. In the meantime, mix together the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste alongwith the mentioned quantity of water.
9. Next, add this diluted spice mix to the chickpeas and increase the flame to high.
10. Stir constantly till all the spices coat the chickpeas very well and all the liquid has evaporated.
11. Transfer the chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onions and tomatoes and mix well.
12. Add the chaat masala and black salt and give it a good mix.
13. Transfer this ready chickpea mixture into serving bowls and garnish with some more chopped onions and tomatoes.
14. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top and serve this Mumbai style Chanaa Chaat for a nutritious evening snack or as a salad for a light dinner alongwith a healthy soup!

Pics to demonstrate the process :
1. Soaked Brown Chickpeas :

2. Cooking in a pressure pan :

3. Drain the cooked chickpeas :

4. Heat ghee :

5. Add soaked chickpeas :

6. Dry spice powders :

7. Spice mix with water :

8. Roast the chickpeas in the spice mix :

9. Add onions and tomatoes :

10. Add chaat masala, black salt and corriander leaves :

11. Serve in individual bowls :