Chana Chat (چنا چاٹ)

Chana chaat, a staple on South Asian Muslim iftar menus, is also popular among South Asian migrants in Australia. Made with chickpeas and potatoes, mixed with salad, and topped with yoghurt, papri and spices, it’s a quick, refreshing dish.

Chana Chat (چنا چاٹ). Credit: SBS Urdu / Nadia Khan

• serves

  3-4

• prep

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup (20–25 pieces) papri (crispy flour crackers, see Note)
• 1 cup boiled, cubed potatoes
• ½ cup cooked (or canned, drained) chickpeas
• 1 cup fresh yoghurt (whisked, lightly sweetened with 1 tsp sugar + pinch of salt)
• 3 tbsp tamarind chutney (optional)
• 2 tbsp green (mint-coriander) chutney (optional)
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• ¼ tsp (or to taste) red chilli powder
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion (optional)
• ½ cup sev (crunchy noodle snack)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Arrange the papri evenly on a serving plate.
2. Top each papri with boiled potatoes and chickpeas.
3. Spoon the whisked yoghurt generously over the top.
4. Drizzle tamarind chutney and green chutney evenly among the papri.
5. Sprinkle over roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and red chilli powder. Add chopped onions if using.
6. Garnish with sev, coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately to keep the papri crisp.

Notes

Most of the ingredients are commonly available in Australian supermarkets and papri (crispy flour crackers) are available in South Asian grocery stores.

Find more from SBS Urdu here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.