Aloo Chana Chaat Recipe with step-by-step photos. This is a spicy, tangy, sweet chaat made with boiled potatoes, white chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, spices, and assorted chutneys. It’s a filling and healthy snack that you can have any time of the day.
Chat time on the blog. Sharing a simple chaat snack. One that can be served as an appetizer, brunch or an evening snack.
If you have any leftover cooked chickpeas, it’s pretty easy to put together this chaat snack. Generally, when I make chana masala, I always cook extra chickpeas and keep them in the fridge. These come in handy for making quick recipes like falafel, hummus, chana pulao, and this chaat. You can also use canned chickpeas if you’re in a hurry.
When I make a chaat snack, I usually make the chaat chutneys a day ahead and put them in the fridge. The red chili chutney and the tamarind chutney will keep for a good few weeks. Whereas the green chutney keeps well for a day or two.
The recipe for Aloo Chana Chaat can also be made into a salad. Just add some grated carrots, blanched green beans, beets and zucchini to the chaat. Omit the papdi and sev if serving as a salad.
In this Aloo Chana Chaat I added 3 chutneys:
If you don’t have time to make these chaat chutneys, simply add in some ground spice powders used in the recipe and enjoy the chaat anyway. Squeeze some lemon juice when serving.
This Aloo Chana Chaat can be served at room temperature or chilled. If serving chilled, add the shredded papdis, sev, and coriander leaves as you serve.
Step by step guide
How to make Aloo Chana Chaat
Cooking chickpeas:
1. Rinse ½ cup dried white chickpeas (aka chana or chole) in fresh water a few times. Then soak in enough water in a bowl overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
2. The next day, drain the water very well. Rinse the chickpeas under running water and drain the water again.
Place the washed chickpeas in a 2 liter pressure cooker. Add 2 cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt or as needed. Cook the chickpeas over medium-high heat for 11 to 12 minutes, or until tender and soft. They should not contain a bite.
When the pressure in the pot calms down by itself, just open the lid. The chickpeas should melt in your mouth. There should be no harshness in the middle.
Drain the chickpeas and let them warm up or come to room temperature.
You can also cook the chickpeas in a pan on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, adding water as needed. However, cooking the chickpeas in a pan will take longer.
3. In a mixing bowl, add 1.5 to 2 cups of cooked chickpeas.
4. Add chopped boiled potatoes to the cooked chickpeas. You will need 2 medium potatoes that have been boiled, peeled and chopped.
You can also omit the potatoes. But they add great flavor and make the snack more filling.
3. Stir and mix.
4. Add green chutney, tamarind chutney and red chili chutney. Add the chutneys according to your taste preferences. Note that if you’re not using red chili chutney, add red chili powder.
5. Add ¼ cup finely chopped onions and ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes. If you don’t like onions, you can skip adding them.
6. Mix everything very well so that the different chutneys coat the potatoes and chickpeas well. Do a taste test and add more chutney if needed.
7. Take a portion of chaat on a serving plate. You can add a few tablespoons of chilled whipped yogurt (curd) at this point.
8. Sprinkle in a pinch or two of chaat masala powder, toasted cumin powder, and black salt or regular salt as needed.
9. Sprinkle some crushed papdi on top. You can also add some roasted peanuts at this step.
10. Sprinkle some sev (fried wheat noodles) on top. You could also add aloo bhujia sev instead of fine sev.
11. Finally add some chopped coriander leaves. Squeeze some lemon juice on top if you like.
12. Serve Aloo Chana Chaat immediately. If you don’t serve right away, the sev will become mushy.
More Tasty Chaat Varieties:
Aloo Chana Chaat
Aloo Chana Chaat is a spicy, flavorful, sweet chaat made with boiled potatoes, white chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices.
preparation time 30 minutes
total time 30 minutes
cooking modePrevent your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe
Pressure cook chickpeas
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To cook the dried chickpeas, soak ½ cup of dried chickpeas in enough water in a bowl overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Drain off all the water the next day. Rinse the chickpeas with fresh water once or twice. Drain the water again.
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Then, in a 2-quart pressure cooker, pressure cook the chickpeas and add 2 cups water + ¼ teaspoon salt until fully cooked and tender. They should melt in the mouth and contain no bite. I pressure cooked them over medium heat for 11 to 12 minutes.
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You can also cook the chickpeas in an Instant Pot, adding water as needed.
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When the pressure settles on its own, just open the lid and strain the chickpeas. Let them warm up or come to room temperature.
Make aloo chana chaat
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Take 1.5 to 2 cups of cooked chickpeas in a mixing bowl. You can also use canned chickpeas.
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Add chopped boiled potatoes to the cooked chickpeas. You will need 2 medium potatoes that have been boiled and peeled. Mix well.
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Add green chutney, tamarind chutney, and red chili chutney. Add the chutneys according to your taste preferences.
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Add finely chopped onions and finely chopped tomatoes.
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Mix everything very well. Check flavor and add chutney if needed.
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Take a portion of the chaat on a serving plate.
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Sprinkle a pinch or two of chaat masala, toasted cumin powder, and black salt or regular salt on top, as needed.
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Sprinkle some mashed papdi on top.
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Sprinkle some Sev on top.
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Finally add some chopped coriander leaves. Squeeze some lemon juice on top if you like.
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Serve the aloo chana chaat immediately so the sev doesn’t get soggy.
- For a low-fat and healthy version, skip the papdis and sev.
- Use fresh chickpeas in their shelf life. Avoid using aged chickpeas as they take a long time to cook.
- You can vary the amount of chutneys and spices according to your taste.
- You can make this chaat without potatoes and onions.
- You can also omit the chutneys and just add the ground spice powders as directed in the recipe.
- A slightly richer variation of this chaat can be made by adding some whipped curd. You can also add roasted peanuts.
This Aloo Chana Chaat Blog Archives post, first published in February 2016, was republished and updated on January 20, 2022.
