A craving for some spice brought me today to Lahore and a spicy chick pea dish. A snack, really. Eaten at room temperature, it is one of the wonderful chat (chaat) dishes so integrated into the varied cuisines of India. It is an amazing tease of contrasts. Sour yet sweet. The bite of onion with the smoothness of chickpeas and potato. The mineralisation of rock salt with the tartness of mango powder and lime juice. It is an amazing dish.
Just a word of warning - this is real Indian. Not the restaurant Indian that is served up and called Indian food. At least here in Australia. Really quite different flavours. Not an easy eating dish. Not a comfort dish that eases your mouth and your body into a state of relaxation. This is a “Woh-hoh” in your mouth. An assault of wonderful flavours that wakes up all your senses. Be brave, but be warned…
At first I wrote a long post for a simple dish. I don’t usually do such long posts. Guess I got carried away. So today I have split it into three:
- First read all about chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and how amazing they are: All about Chickpeas
- Then read about Chat Masala, the spice powder used to make this wonderful and simple dish: Chat Masala.
- THEN make this dish. NOW!
Chat
The word chat or chaat means to lick and the word masala, as we have seen before, actually means spice mix in Hindi. So generally, the word chat is used for a collection of savoury and highly spicy snacks that would make you lick /smack your lips - if that was acceptable in Indian etiquette.
Chat is traditionally sold by street hawkers in India and comes under a group of foods known as ‘Indian Street Foods’. But be careful of the food hygiene of street food - it is often suspect, frequently leading to “Delhi Belly“, most people prefer to make chat at home. There is some debate about whether chat is Northern or Southern Indian - I think it is wide spread. You might like to tell me.
A note on ingredients
Chat dishes are distinguished by the Chat Masala powder that is used to impart the spicy flavour to the main ingredient. You can buy this, but I thought we might make our own today. You can read how here.
Jaggery is a palm sugar commonly used in India and SE Asia. You can substitute brown sugar.
Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.
So Today
Make your Chat Masala, then go on, be brave, indulge in this so easy, REAL Indian street food.
Lahori Channa Chat, or chickpea chat
Source : Chatpatti Chaat Papri and Snacks
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 5 mins (plus overnight soaking of chickpeas)
Cooking time: 1 hour to cook chickpeas and potatoes
Serves: 4 - 5 people, as a snack or dish with salad.
2 cups boiled chick peas
2 big boiled potatoes, peeled and chopped
1-3 green chillies finely chopped
2 tspn ginger finely chopped
1 - 2 medium onions chopped
3 Tblspn lemon or lime juice
1 tspn jaggery or fine sugar
2 Tblspn coriander leaves chopped
2 med tomatoes, chopped
Sea Salt to taste
Chat Masala to taste - start with about 1 dessert spoon, and add more if you want it spicier.
Mix and refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours. Serve cold. Yum.
That’s it. Done.
If you want to Westernise it, add a load of chopped parsley, mint and coriander and mix through. Mung bean sprouts. Another 2 or 3 tomatoes chopped into chickpeas size pieces.
If you are really brave and adventurous, the overall sourness of the lime juice, amchur and black salt will go well with fruit as well - any tropical fruit, melons, apples, pears even.
Read some More
Don’t forget to read about Mr Channa Chat Man.
Miche Mache has a lovely channa chat that has some potatoes in it as well as chickpeas.
Meena at Hooked on Heat has a wonderful chat recipe alu dahi puri. She says:
Smothered with spicy and tangy chutneys, yogurt and tons of other fixings, each plate creates a whole new experience in your mouth. Chaats are one of those purely addictive foods that I simply refuse to live without!
People are Saying
Living for Pleasure alone has a post on chickpeas, called Lunch Box Musings. They say:
Here’s some veggy Chick pea chat puns intended all around
Finger Licking Food made this chat for the MBP event. She says:
Lahori Channa Chaat or Chickpea Chaat. Just the name made me drool.
This chaat was out of this world and I’m glad I got a chance to make it.
Chickpea (Garbanzo) Series
- Creamy Pearl Hummus Salad
- Chickpea, Almond and Sesame Spread
- Chickpeas with Ginger Root Salad
- Chickpea Keep it Simple Salad
- Chana Chat with Chat Masala
- Cheat’s Hummus - Hummus made from a can of chickpeas or butter beans
- Chick Peas
- Meet Mr. Channa Chat Man, selling chickpea snacks on the beach at Kovalam.
- Oven Baked Chickpeas
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26 responses so far ↓
lakshmi // November 30, 2007 at 7:47 am
Thanks for your comment friend.
Rina // November 30, 2007 at 8:09 am
Wow!!! what lovely pics of Chick peas. Love your colorful chat dear.
myfrenchkitchen // November 30, 2007 at 8:44 am
I’m indulging in your stunning photo’s! And I’ve learnt a lot about the chickpea reading here…unfortunately my knowledge is far less, so I can’t even suggest a relationship between the chickpea and Siva…you explanation sounds reasonable to me.
ronell
Asha // November 30, 2007 at 9:01 am
Best dish from Chana is chole with Batura! YUM YUM!!
Rajitha // November 30, 2007 at 9:18 am
anything chatpata has my name on it..lovely pics
sunita // November 30, 2007 at 9:28 am
Wow! What a treatise on chickpeas…beautiful pictures and I’m actually drooling over the chat masala
indosungod // November 30, 2007 at 10:49 am
Amazing photo, thanks for the chat masala recipe, I am loathe to buy and then let them to lay around. Love chick peas and this is a great way to eat them.
Suganya // November 30, 2007 at 11:29 am
There is so much to learn from you
Kimberley // November 30, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I absolutely love coming here - for the recipes, information and the stunning photos. I have been wanting to make my own hummus - hmmmm. And now - I’m hungry - happens every time I even get close to your blog - the aromas are just too much!
Lakshmi // November 30, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Lovely Chaat and I am always ready for that anytime..
Linda // November 30, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I made it through the first half. Never saw such a comprehensive chaat post! Wonderful, and very useful for someone like me, trying to learn more about Indian cooking. Of course like the others I am stuck on that single chick pea that you so lovingly photographed
VegeYum // November 30, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Everyone, thank you so much. To get your comments just makes my day. Yes, I don’t blame you Linda, just making it through the first half, it is such a long post. I must break it into 2, I think. But, Linda, I hope you get to the recipe and see how fabulously easy it is.
Chat is so wonderful, so “woh-hoh” in the mouth. I love that you love it too.
Asha, which is your favourite recipe for chole with Batura. I found one at Mahanandi that looks yummy.
Kimberley, hummus indeed - a favourite of mine too. I have a hummus post coming up. I know that everyone and their dog post hummus, but, well, if this is about what comes out of my kitchen, then I have to have one too. Not as good as others, but reflective of my cooking.
Rina, thank you for coming by, lakshmi too. myfrenchkitchen, I like the analogy of Siva Shakti too. The spirituality of food, heh?
Ok, better finish this opus magnum
thanks everyone again.
Happy Cook // November 30, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Love the chat.
Really beautiful pictures. And wonderfilly informative post
@shu // November 30, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Wow! What a lovely post and very informative! After the first glance, I wanted to comment on the pictures but I realised that the post was quite long! I must say it’s really awesome!
hannehanne // December 1, 2007 at 4:05 am
I want to add to the wows. I’m so impressed by your informative posts. The more I know about what I’m eating, the happier I am. It’s fascinating to pull on all the strands of science, history and culture that food holds.
And your recipe looks delicious. I’m always on the lookout for authentic Indian recipes, so this makes me very happy.
VegeYum // December 1, 2007 at 6:50 am
Oh yes, @shu, sorry about the length. I really did get carried away. Always so much to say about food.
hannehanne, thanks so much. Hope you get to try it.
Cynthia // December 1, 2007 at 10:03 am
I’m blown away by the thoroughness of this post. Thank you!
mansi // December 1, 2007 at 11:19 am
I make this quite often, it’s my fav timepass food, but never has it tasted as good as your description
VegeYum // December 1, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Hi mansi, sometimes maybe we “forget” the taste of things that we eat often? or maybe forget to really taste it? I love this dish, but only make it every now and again when I get a craving for it or for India.
Hey, Cynthia, thanks! (and sorry again for the length).
VegeYum // December 1, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Boy, I have had a look at this post again. I reckon that there are three posts in this one post. I better split it at some stage….. I must have written and written and written …. Perhaps too much coffee.
Namratha // December 21, 2007 at 3:54 am
Lovely pics and a wonderful dish, stopped by while blog hopping
Nandita // December 28, 2007 at 1:22 am
Hey Vegeyum,
My first time here and I’m totally in love with your writing and the pictures ofcourse! Brilliant stuff and I’m going to keep coming over and over again- I’m a chick for chickpeas and we both love the chana chaat - one Indian salad that can make a complete dinner!
Cya around…am off to read more of your stuff now.
Arundathi // April 16, 2008 at 8:48 pm
That looks delicious. Fabulous photos!
Thank you! Glad you like them. I can tell you, it IS delicious!
Kate // April 20, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I encounter opposite information regarding chickpeas/garbonzo beans.
An equal number of sites say they are high-purine and other that say they are purine-free. Which is sorrect??? This is very important to me because I am on a low to no-purine diet.
Hi Kate, you should consult an expert on this, and not rely on internet information. Best of luck.
Ognish // May 15, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Just Yammi::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Thank you Ognish. It sure is.
shash // May 27, 2008 at 10:35 am
is there a workaround to cook chikpeas in say 3 hrs?
Of course. Open a can.
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