My take on Kala Chana Chaat is a vibrant, dry snack made by tossing black chickpeas with boiled potatoes, crunchy veggies, and a mix of bold, tangy spices.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published in June 2013. There are minor changes to the recipe – highlighted below. I’ve also added new images and helpful content.
Kala chana nu shaak has always been my go-to comfort food. But kala chana chaat ? That’s a whole different level – plenty of tang, plenty of crunch, and absolutely bursting with flavour.
More often than I care to admit, I’ll get a sudden craving for chaat. The only problem is that many chaat recipes, like papdi chaat , need some forward planning. What I love about this one is that all that punchy flavour comes from spice powders like chaat masala and amchoor – no chutneys or extras needed. A bit like my Indian lobia salad .
You’ll find that most versions out there stick to a base of black chickpeas – and while that’s delicious on its own, I like to do things a little differently.
I’ve recently started adding potatoes to the mix – mostly because I think everything tastes better with potatoes (and honestly, potatoes + anything = yum!). They add a lovely heartiness to the chaat and soak up all that delicious masala. It tastes a bit like pani puri filling but with the addition of crisp veggies.
The best part? This recipe couldn’t be easier. Once your kala chana and potatoes are cooked, it’s just a matter of tossing everything together. Quick to make… and even quicker to eat!
If you’re cooking your chickpeas in the Instant Pot , you can follow the same instructions for black chickpeas – just use the same timings and you’re good to go.
Ingredients notes
Kala chana – tinned kala chana are convenient and work perfectly well for this recipe. Sometimes I batch cook dried kala chana in my instant pot and freeze in smaller portions for later. If you are going to cook them at home, I recommend cooking until just tender. You don’t want mushy kala chana for this recipe.
Potatoes – optional but if you use in this recipe, we need boiled, peeled and chopped potatoes.
Veggies – I’m using the typical veggies that are added to bhel puri . Red onion, cucumber, tomatoes and green chillies – all chopped.
Spice powders – again, the typical masala that you would recognise in chaat – chaat masala, black salt, red chilli powder, amchoor powder.
Lemon juice – in case it isn’t obvious – we need LOTS of tang!
Coriander – lots of fresh coriander leaves scattered over.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Kala Chana Chaat
Ingredients
- 3 cup kala chana (black chickpeas) cooked
- ½ cup potatoes boiled and cut into cubes
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup tomato finely chopped
- ½ cup cucumber cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoon green chillies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder amchoor powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black salt kala namak
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the boiled black chickpeas with all the other ingredients and spices.
- Mix well and adjust the seasoning as required.
- Optionally, set aside for 15-20 minutes to develop flavours further before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Kala Chana Chaat
Ingredients
- 3 cup kala chana (black chickpeas) cooked
- ½ cup potatoes boiled and cut into cubes
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup tomato finely chopped
- ½ cup cucumber cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoon green chillies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder amchoor powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black salt kala namak
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the boiled black chickpeas with all the other ingredients and spices.
- Mix well and adjust the seasoning as required.
- Optionally, set aside for 15-20 minutes to develop flavours further before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
This farali thepla recipe is a favourite in our house, especially during vrat or when we just want something light yet satisfying. The grated dudhi keeps the thepla soft, while the roasted peanut powder and ripe banana add subtle richness. It’s a beautiful balance of texture and flavour.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published in September 2017. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.
My parents didn’t strictly observe Hindu fasting but my mum would still prepare an array of farali dishes. More for the love of variety.
I closely observed her experiment with treats like farali dum aloo , farali sabudana vada chaat , farali magas , and buff vada .
Farali thepla with dudhi is one such recipe that brings those memories back. It pairs beautifully with farali ratalu , potato peanut bhaji , or a bowl of moraiyo and farali kadhi on the side. To end on a sweet note my go to is a warm bowl of rajgira sheera .
If you aren’t fasting, I’ve tried them these with Rajkot’s famous green chutney too!
At first glance, you might assume this is just a simple swap – dudhi thepla made with farali flour.
But it’s more than that.
The addition of ripe banana isn’t just for a hint of sweetness. It helps bind the dough, keeping the thepla soft. The roasted peanut powder adds a lovely nutty depth. It’s unique and so, so good.
A note on farali flour
I use ready made farali flour (farali no lot) which I’m able to purchase from an Indian grocery store. It is usually a mix of different gluten-free flours. Most common additions are barnyard millet flour (samo), amaranth (rajgira), buckwheat (kuttu) and water chestnut flour (shingoda).
You can make your own at home with a mix of these flours. If like us you aren’t cooking a lot of farali recipes, just purchase the pre-mix. It’s more space saving too! I’ve also used it to make farali muthiya .
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Farali Thepla
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Skillet tawa
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed farali flour + dusting
- ¼ cup dudhi grated
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
- 2 tablespoon ripe banana mashed
- 1 tablespoon green chilli-ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon coriander chopped
- 2 tablespoon roasted peanut powder
- pinch sugar optional
- rock salt farali salt/sindhav namak
- oil for shallow fry
Instructions
- In a big bowl add all the ingredients except oil, and knead a semi-soft dough.
- You won’t need any water to knead the dough as doodhi will release some moisture.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into a ball.
- Dust the flour on a working surface, first roll one ball into a circle. Heat griddle or tawa on a medium heat.
- Place a rolled thepla on the griddle and cook for 20 seconds, or until the top starts to brown and slightly bubble.
- Turn the theplu over using a spatula, apply little oil and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, or until brown spots appear.
- Flip it over one more time and, using the spatula and apply oil, carefully press down all over.
- Turn over again and repeat on the other side until you have the desired crispiness.
- Keep each paratha warm, while you repeat to cook them all.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
