Chole Chaat

Chole means Garbanzo beans/Chick peas and Chaat is a combination of savory snacks mixed with different types of condiments (chutnies). It can be enjoyed as a snack or dinner. (I can eat it all day :)).

Normally we get the best Chaat at road-side stalls or carts in India. Every Indian loves it (at least we girls go crazy for it, don’t we?) Evey bite of chaat is full of flavors like Hot(spicy), sweet, tangy, crunchy and what not. Love it!

Some of the popular dishes are Pani-puri, Bhel-puri, Dahi vada, Aloo tikki, Chole chaat etc…Hold on recipes coming soon :). May be I should do a Chaat week – what say? But for now, let’s start with the recipe of Chole-Chaat. 

Total Time: 20 mins (if you have Chutnies ready in your refrigerator)

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Organic Garbanzo beans (28 oz.)
• 2 boiled potatoes
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (Optional)
• 4 Tbsp Tamarind chutney (Recipe follows)
• 4 tbsp Mint Chutney (Recipe follows)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp Chaat masala

Method:

Rinse garbanzo beans in cold water and cube (bite-sized) the boiled/peeled potatoes. Put them in a salad bowl. Add some onions, some chilies, potatoes, tomatoes, some coriander leaves, both the chutnies, salt and chaat masala.

Mix well to coat chickpeas well. Do not forget to taste. Garnish with some onions, chillies, tomatoes (if using) and sprinkle some chaat masala, red chili powder and roasted cumin powder. Serve at room temperature.

Mint Chutney

A very refreshing chutney. It can be served as a Dip, on the chaat or make nice vegetable sandwich possibilities are endless.  

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped mint leaves
• 1 cup chopped coriander
• 3 to 4 Green Chilies (Hot ones) , roughly chopped (As per your taste)
• 1/2’” piece ginger
• 2 Tbsp Peanuts
• Juice of 1 to 2 lemons abt 2 Tbsp
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste

Method:

Clean mint, coriander, ginger and green chilies with water and put all the ingredients in a blender. Blend it to a smooth paste using a little water if required. Taste to check on the salt. It’s ready to serve and you can even store it in a Refrigerator and use as required. It’s good for a week or so.

Tamarind Chutney

Authentic sweet and tangy chutney, which can be used as a Dip or served on the top of the Chaat. It is also called Saunth in North India. It has different variations as well. But this is what I like to serve on my chaat, so here you go.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Tamarind concentrate
• 1 cup Jaggery (gur)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
• 1/4 tsp Ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsp chilli powder (or as per taste)

Method:

Add tamarind concentrate, jaggery and sugar to a small pot. Now add water and let it boil on medium flame till jaggery and sugar melts completely. It should not take more than 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Now add all the spices and mix it nicely. Let it simmer on low flame for another 5 minutes and do not make chutney too thick since it will thicken up when it cools down. Once it has cooled down, it is ready to use and you can store it in refrigerator in airtight glass/plastic bottle. It’s good to use for at least a month or more.

You can even make this in microwave but make sure not to burn yourself since the bowl will be very hot to handle. Just be careful.

Enjoy,

Love,