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    Home » Recipe Course » Salads

    Kala Chana Chaat (Black Chickpea Salad)

    March 14, 2023 . By Meeta Arora . 23 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Kala Chana Chaat in a bowl with tomato, onions and lime on the side

    Kala Chana Chaat, is a nutrition packed Black Chickpea Salad made with black chickpeas, crunchy onions, tomatoes, avocado and spices. This refreshing salad has fresh and tangy flavors, and can be enjoyed as a great protein rich breakfast or snack. Vegan & gluten free.

    Kala Chana Chaat in a bowl with tomato, onions and lime on the side

    It takes just 10 minutes to prepare this delicious salad with pre-cooked chickpeas. This salad is perfect to make with leftover chickpeas.

    Whenever I make Kala Chana Curry or Sookha Kala Chana, I cook some extra chickpeas, so I can then make this salad.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love this Kala Chana Chaat?
    • What is kala chana (black chickpeas)?
    • What is Chaat?
    • Ingredients
    • How to make?
    • Tips to make perfect Kala Chana Chaat
    • Storage Suggestions
    • Kala Chana Chaat Recipe (Black Chickpea Salad)

    Why you will love this Kala Chana Chaat?

    √ This is a no oil, no sugar recipe

    √ It is high in protein and fiber

    √ Black chickpeas are low in carbs

    √ Vegan & Gluten free recipe

    What is kala chana (black chickpeas)?

    Kala chana is an Indian black chickpea, also called Bengal gram. They are smaller in size, have a rough exterior and a nuttier flavor than light brown chickpeas. However they can be used in the same way as the lighter chickpeas.

    Black Chickpeas are a powerhouse of nutrients. They are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and have a low glycemic index which helps to regulate blood sugar. They are an important part of the vegetarian diet of many Indians.

    In the US, black chickpeas are available at Indian grocery stores or on Amazon. You can also substitute them with white chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in this recipe.

    What is Chaat?

    Chaat is basically a savory snack, served as hors d'oeuvre or snacks from stalls or food carts in India. Chaat is usually crunchy, spicy, tangy all at the same time. There is usually a base, spices, chutneys and garnishes added to a chaat.

    Ingredients

    • Black Chickpeas: also known as kala chana in hindi. Kala Chana can be canned or cooked. If using canned, drain and rinse it first. You can also cook dried chickpeas in the instant pot. If you dont have these, you can use regular chickpeas too.
    • Avocado: I used peeled, pitted and chopped avocado in this recipe. This is not traditional, but we love the extra nutrition.
    • Tomatoes: Use firm, ripe tomatoes. Roma or cherry tomatoes either can be used.
    • Onion: I used red onion because they work best in salad. They add a lovely color, crunch, and sweetness to the salad.
    • Herbs: Cilantro and mint taste best for Indian style salads
    • Lime juice: I used the juice of half of a lime. Feel free to increase or decrease according to your preference.
    • Seasoning: salt, black salt, red chilli powder and Chaat masala - the star ingredient that gives the tangy, zingy flavor. If you don't have chaat masala, you can skip it, and add some roasted cumin powder.

    How to make?

    This Kala Chana Chaat is very easy to make with the basic ingredients you might have at home. The only main ingredient is black chickpea, which I use pre-boiled in this recipe.

    I like to boil them in the instant pot or pressure cooker. See the recipe notes for details on how to boil black chickpeas.

    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad ingredients in small bowls

    Gather all the ingredients and chop the green chili, onions, tomatoes and avocados.

    Mix in the onions, tomatoes, green chili's and spices. Green chili and red chili powder are completely optional, so feel free to skip them to make this salad non spicy.

    I like to add kala namak (black salt), chaat masala, and amchur powder (dry mango powder) to this chaat. You can also add roasted cumin powder for ever flavor.

    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad - Start mixing the ingredients by adding to black chickpeas

    Now add the avocado, mint, cilantro and lemon juice.

    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad - Add avocado on the top with some cilantro

    Avocado is completely optional, but a delicious addition to make this chaat even healthier.

    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad in a bowl with avocado, tomato, onion, mint and lime pieces

    Tips to make perfect Kala Chana Chaat

    √ You can add veggies of your choice in this salad. Some people like to add boiled potatoes, cucumbers or if mango is in season, add some chopped raw mangoes to make it more tangy.

    √ Adjust spices to your taste.  Skip green chili and red chili powder to make it non spicy, especially for kids.

    √ This salad can be made with boiled white chickpeas, green chickpeas or sprouts too.

    √ You can also add some green chutney, tamarind chutney, and top with thin sev to make this a perfect tangy, spicy chaat.

    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad in a bowl with avocado, tomato, onion, mint and lime pieces

    Storage Suggestions

    This Kala Chana Chaat tastes best when freshly consumed. It can be refrigerated for up to 1 day in an airtight glass container. But beyond that the salad will lose its crunch and the vegetables will be soggy.

    You can make it ahead of time by keeping everything ready in the refrigerator and mixing the ingredients just before serving.

    Hope you enjoy this health vegan Kala Chana chaat. You might also enjoy the below recipes:

    • Indian Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad
    • Mango Lassi
    • Lemon Rice
    • Ragda Chaat
    • Kakdi Koshimbir
    • Fruit Chaat
    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Kala Chana Chaat. Black Chickpea Salad in a bowl with avocado, tomato, onion, mint and lime pieces

    Kala Chana Chaat Recipe (Black Chickpea Salad)

    Meeta Arora
    A nutrition packed Black Chickpea Salad made with black chickpeas, crunchy onions, tomatoes, avocado and spices. This refreshing salad has fresh and tangy flavors, and can be enjoyed as a great protein rich breakfast or snack. 
    4.88 from 31 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 1
    Calories: 261
    Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 10 mins

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup Kala Chana (Black Chickpea) boiled
    • ¼ cup Red Onion diced
    • ¼ cup Tomato diced
    • 1 green chili optional
    • ¼ cup Avocado chopped, optional
    • 1 tablespoon Mint leaves
    • 1 tablespoon Cilantro leaves
    • 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon Black salt (Kala namak)
    • ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or another mild red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
    • ½ teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur)
    • Salt to taste
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    Instructions
     

    • Add the boiled black chickpeas to a bowl. Add green chili, onions, tomatoes and spices to it. Stir well. 
    • Add avocado, mint leaves, cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Stir well. 
    • Taste and adjust salt as needed. 

    Video

    Notes

    Variations:
    • You can add veggies of your choice in this salad. Some people like to add boiled potatoes, cucumbers or if mango is in season, add some chopped raw mangoes to make it more tangy.
    •  This salad can be made with boiled white chickpeas, green chickpeas, kidney beans or sprouts too.
    Make it less spicy: Adjust spices to your taste. Skip green chili and red chili powder to make it non spicy. 
    How to boil black chickpeas: Wash and soak ½ cup black chickpeas in water overnight. Discard the water. Pressure cook with fresh 1.5 cups of water in instant pot for 30 mins or on stovetop pressure cooker for 2 whistles on high and 30 mins on low heat. Let the pressure release naturally. Drain the water and use the black chickpeas in this recipe. 

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 1205mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 13gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 778IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword black chickpea salad, kala chana chaat
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

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    Comments

    1. Jody says

      October 03, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      This was terrific!!! My wife lioved it -- but I modified the recipe a little to suit what I thought she would like best. Less heat, very little cilantro (coriander leaf), and no black salt. I did not use a hot green chilli pepper, but diced up a cubanelle pepper instead (no seeds).
      So.... my wife loved it! And my co-workers loved it the next day.
      I didn't use all the chana, and I used double the tomato, onion, a whole avocado.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        October 03, 2022 at 5:19 pm

        Hi Jody - So glad you all enjoyed the kala chana chaat. Thank you for sharing the changes you made.

        Reply
    2. Kathy says

      September 12, 2022 at 7:12 pm

      I stumbled across this Kala Chana Chaat recipe when I was simply looking for some guidance on how long to cook kala chana in the Instant Pot. I ditched the recipe I was planning to make so I could try this one instead and WOW! I made my own chaat masala and skipped the cilantro, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This is definitely a keeper that I will enjoy time and time again.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        October 04, 2022 at 1:37 pm

        Hi Kathy - So glad to hear you enjoyed the Kala Chana Chaat. Thanks for sharing back!

        Reply
    3. shreya says

      April 14, 2022 at 12:14 am

      It's so easy to cook and healthy at the same time. Followed all your instructions and it turned out so yummy.

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        April 19, 2022 at 10:49 am

        Hi Shreya - Happy to hear you enjoyed the chaat!

        Reply
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