Chaat is a combination of legumes, vegetables, fried dough and even fruits with herbs and spices, served cold or at room temperature. The recipe I am sharing with you today is an all year, all occasion kind of green garbanzo bean chaat, that works as a great salad, too. It’s just so easy, so delicious and it makes me feel so good.
As the name suggests the most important ingredient in this chaat is of course green garbanzo beans, rest all depends on availability and your choice. You can make this chaat with dried green, brown (bengal gram) or white chickpeas but the crisp taste of green garbanzo beans when fresh is so completely different than the dried versions. They are young chickpeas harvested at their peak of freshness and are nutritionally packed.
You will notice that I haven’t given any measurements for this recipe as there is no rule with the amount of ingredients to put or how spicy or tangy it should be but it definitely should not be bland. I just taste and keep adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that as I go. So, this is a simple recipe for you to play with as is or make your own by adding anything that sounds good to you. This choliya chaat can be served as a starter, as a side, as a main dish component stuffed in salad leaves, or just about any other way you can imagine!
Ingredients
- frozen green garbanzo beans or fresh if you have those available
- potatoes, peeled and diced into bite size
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- red onion, chopped
- green chillies, chopped
- cilantro, chopped
- mint, chopped
- roasted cumin powder
- chaat masala
- salt
- lemon juice
- sugar (just a little)
- Beans: dried green, brown or beige chickpeas.Boil before using.
- Pungency and tartness: tamarind, yogurt, lime juice, red chilli powder, pepper flakes, amchur (dried mango) powder, green chutney, sweet chutney, black salt.
- Additions: radish, cucumber, green mango, sev (fried noodle type snack), spring onion. You can use any or all of these to add flavor and texture.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Put frozen garbanzo beans in a colander and run under hot water. This will thaw the beans quickly. Allow to drain.
- Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and lightly roast for 20 minutes.
- Let cool and set aside till needed.
- While the green garbanzo beans are in the oven, place potatoes in a saucepan of water over high heat and bring it to boil.
- Cook for 10 minutes or until just tender.
- Drain and place on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 30 minutes, turning the potatoes once until slightly golden.
- Let the potatoes cool.
- In a mixing bowl, toss potatoes and green garbanzo beans with onion, cherry tomato, chillies and spices.
- Squeeze lemon juice, put in some freshly chopped mint and cilantro.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
Bam's Kitchen
Now that is my kind of cooking a little of this and a little of that. Great little dish. I have never seen green garbanzo beans before. Did you get these at a specialty store?
Balvinder
I got it from Canadian wholesale Grocery Store-Costco.
ela@GrayApron
I like these green looking chickpeas…never seen them before. Great salad, nice spices and herbs too…
ela h.
Jennifer Eloff
Green chickpeas? That is unusual in an unusual dish. 😉 Have a great week! 🙂
Coffee and Crumpets
I didn’t know you could find them frozen, I’m going to look next time. I hardly go to the desi stores anymore because I can find all the spices I need at my regular health stores. I go when I run out of chaat masala, curry leaves and achaar! I adore chaat, any kind of chaat. Ramadan is coming up at the end of the month and I think I’ll be doing lots of chats, I crave them then. This looks wonderful Balvinder, I’m going to look for the green chana.
Hope you’re well!
Balvinder
Nazneen, I used to buy these from Indian grocery store but I stopped once I saw them at Costco. They are just as good as fresh. I know American Costco stores and Trader’s Joe carry these beans from few years. I hope you will find them at your place and enjoy the chaat as much as we do.
Kitchen Belleicious
this looks like the perfect summer side dish. It wouldnt go bad at a picnic and looks super easy to make. I love the beans in it! Such a great dish
Balvinder
Oh yes, totally….., since it is served cold or at room temperature. So glad you liked it 🙂
Katerina
Very healthy and looks very appetizing as well! I love the colors!
Blackswan
I like your method of cooking & how you’ve roasted the chickpeas. I like the colours too!
Juliana
I have never seen green garbanzo…looks delicious Balvinder and so pretty.
Have a great week 😀
Monica
Taste-good and feel-good food is the very best and this is a great example. I didn’t know there were green garbanzo beans and I’ll be keeping an eye out. So interesting, thank you! This is one of those sides that I would make a whole meal out of.
Balvinder
Thank you Monica! I agree its one of those chaat recipes that you can eat as a meal.For green garbanzo beans check out frozen isles of your grocery store. DO you have Costco or wholefoods, they carry for sure. Or you can make this chaat with canned white or brown chickpeas
Julia @ Swirls and Spice
I just heard about green chickpeas last week, and this is the first time I have seen them. They look so inviting!
Balvinder
Thanks Julia! once you find green garbanzo beans from store, you have an easy and scrumptious recipe to count on.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I have never had green chickpeas…wow they look really cool! I bet they must taste great too.
Balvinder
They do!
Amira
This is absolutely lovely. Simple and healthy and very suitable for summer.
Balvinder
Absolutely!
Purabi Naha | Cosmopolitan Currymania
This chaat looks lovely, Balvinder. I loved how healthy it looks…I am totally game for this chaat. 🙂
Monika
These beans sound delicious, I need to check the frozen aisle in the supermarket to see if I can buy them.