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Pakistani chana chaat
Iftar chana chaat from Lahore to Karachi: chickpeas, potato and onion tossed with tamarind, lemon and chaat masala
In Pakistan a bowl of chana chaat is on almost every iftar table during Ramadan, next to the dates, pakoras and a jug of red sherbet, and in Lahore and Karachi street vendors toss it to order all year round in big steel bowls. The Pakistani style is simple and sharp: plump chickpeas and potato with raw onion, tomato, green chilli, lots of coriander and mint, tamarind chutney, lemon juice and a heavy hand of chaat masala, served cold or at room temperature. It is a quick, filling, high-fibre snack. People often mix it too early and the onion goes limp and the potato mushy; dress it no more than 15 minutes before eating. Chef's tip: toss the chickpeas with the chaat masala and salt first, before anything wet goes in, so the spice clings to them.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chaat
To serve
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 1 lb cooked chickpeas and 2 potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle over 2 tsp chaat masala, 1 tsp ground roasted cumin, ½ tsp red chilli powder and ½ tsp salt. Toss well with a spoon until every chickpea is dusted.
Step 2: Add 1 red onion, 2 tomatoes, ½ cucumber, 2 green chillies, ⅔ oz fresh coriander and ⅓ oz fresh mint and toss again.
Step 3: Spoon over 4 tbsp tamarind chutney and squeeze in 1 lemon. Mix gently, taste, and adjust: it should be sour, salty, a little sweet and hot all at once. Add more chaat masala or lemon if it tastes flat.
Step 4: Serve within 15 minutes, in small bowls, with 1 ⅜ oz crisp papri or broken gluten-free crackers crumbled on top for crunch if you like (wheat papri is not gluten free).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pakistani chana chaat take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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