A bright, tangy chickpea salad tossed with diced potato, onion, tomato and chaat masala, drizzled with tamarind chutney and yogurt. A refreshing snack and an essential Ramadan iftar dish.
Chana chaat belongs to the great family of subcontinental chaat—tangy street snacks built on the interplay of sour, spicy and sweet. In Pakistan it shines brightest during Ramadan, when families break their fast with a cooling, protein-rich bowl of dressed chickpeas before the evening meal.
Cool, creamy chickpeas and soft potato carry a punch of sour tamarind, salty-spicy chaat masala and fresh coriander. Every spoonful is tangy, mildly fiery and addictively refreshing.
Chaat masala's amchur (dried mango) and tamarind provide bright acidity that the starchy chickpeas and potato absorb, while the spice blend's asafoetida and cumin add savory depth.
Variations
aloo chana chaat, with yogurt, with sev topping, dahi chana chaat, spicy Karachi style
On the Palate
Where Chana Chaat sits in the Pakistani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Boil or use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
- 28 min
Boil and dice potatoes into small cubes.
Watch outBoil the potatoes just until a knife slips in, then dice — overcooked cubes fall apart and turn the chaat pasty instead of staying in clean bites.
- 35 min
Finely chop onion, tomato and green chili.
- 42 min
Combine the chickpeas, potato and chopped vegetables in a bowl.
- 52 min
Sprinkle in chaat masala, red chili, cumin powder and salt.
- 62 min
Drizzle over tamarind chutney and a little whisked yogurt.
Watch outDrizzle the tamarind and yogurt on just before tossing — add them too early and the chickpeas soak it up and go soggy before serving.
- 71 min
Toss everything gently to coat evenly.
- 81 min
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve chilled.
Watch outServe it well chilled — the cold is what makes the amchur and tamarind taste sharp and refreshing; at room temp it goes flat.
