Kala Chana Chaat Recipe (Black Chickpea Salad)

Ingredients

• 1 cup black chickpeas (kala chana) dried
• ½ cup red onion diced
• ½ cup tomato de-seeded and diced
• ½ cup cucumber diced
• 1-2 green chili finely chopped, optional
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Spices

• ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder optional
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• ½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
• 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)

Steps

Soaking Black Chickpeas

1. Wash the black chickpeas and soak them overnight or for at least 6 hours in 3 cups water. They will double in size as they soak.

Cook Black Chickpeas

1. Traditional stovetop pressure cooker: cook the rinsed, soaked black chickpeas and salt with 2.5 cups water for 8 whistles over medium-low heat, then let the pressure release naturally. Instant Pot pressure cooker: cook the rinsed, soaked chickpeas and salt with 2.5 cups water at High Pressure for 30 minutes on BEAN/CHILI mode, allowing the pressure to release naturally. A quantity of 1 cup dried black chickpeas yields 2.5 cups boiled black chickpeas.

Assembling the Salad

1. Put all the salad ingredients, including the boiled kala chana (brown chickpeas), vegetables, herbs, spices, and lemon juice, into a large mixing bowl. Combine with a gentle toss.
2. Serve at once, or keep covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.