Loading...Chana batata is a famous Mumbai street food item. In other words, it’s a snack. Yup, you can consume it directly without roti, bread, or kulcha. Now that’s great. But what exactly is this recipe?
What is chana batata?
Chana batata is the Hindi name of this dish. There are two words. Chana means chickpeas, especially black chickpeas. Similarly, batata means potatoes. Therefore, the recipe is black chickpeas & potato snacks.
Chickpeas & potatoes are boiled & further tempered in Indian masalas. All this together gives you a tasty snack to eat. Since it is snacks, the items needed are fewer & the making process is simple.
Let’s go through the item list first. Here you go.
Things You’ll Need For Chana Batata
Let me tell you, there are no fancy ingredients in here. Each & every item is of utmost common & already available. Hence, let’s discuss what we need. For easy understanding, I have divided the list into sections. Here it is.
Beans & flour (2 items)
For chana batata, we require black chickpeas. We will not be using the white ones. Therefore, black chickpeas are our main ingredient. Boil them before cooking.
Along with other items, we will also be using two tablespoons of gram flour. Popularly known as besan, the gram flour will add the required thickness. Hence, do not skip besan, or else the boiled chickpeas will make the dish watery.
Cooking oil
Traditional chana batata is made using cooking oil. Therefore, avoid both butter & ghee. Instead of using butter or ghee, you can use olive oil too. Additionally, you can replace regular oil with olive oil.
Dry masala (3 items)
Cumin, coriander powder & salt are our dry masalas. There are two instances where we will add coriander powder. Hence, watch the recipe video or follow the steps to understand better.
Masala paste (2 items)
In native Indian languages, we refer to it as hara masala. For this, we will need the all-time favourite ginger-garlic & tamarind paste. If you like khatta-meetha taste, then double the quantity of tamarind. Trust me, boiled chana & potato with imli paste is an unmatched combo. Try & you will love it.
Herbs (2 items)
We have categorized curry leaves & mint leaves as herbs. If I write leaves, there will be confusion. Curry leaves will go into the tadka. On the other hand, mint leaves will add a sweet flavour. Additionally, it will produce an excellent lingering effect on the tongue.
Vegetables (4 items)
We need potato, onion, tomato & capsicum for chana batata. The name batata in the recipe itself suggests that potato is the main ingredient. Boil potato before cooking like chickpeas. Other items are self-explanatory.
I always recommend using water cautiously while cooking. The same applies to this recipe also. Always add water gradually as per the recipe requirements. Hence, the item list concludes here. Now it’s time to cook. Read below.
Before you begin the cooking process, there are some pre-preparations. Here they are
Chana Batata Pre-preparations
- Boil chickpeas & potatoes.
- Extract tamarind paste at home or buy readymade.
- Grind ginger & garlic to make a paste.
- Chop onions & tomatoes.
Mumbai Street Style Chana Batata Iftar Recipe
Assuming the above items are ready, let’s start with the cooking.
Tempering
Use a non-stick kadhai or pan to heat the oil. Temper cumin seeds first. After that, add curry leaves along with gram flour. Stir them till you smell the woody fragrance of cumin seeds. I love this smell.
Saute masala
After sauteing, add water, ginger-garlic paste, tamarind paste, capsicum, mint leaves, salt & coriander powder. Mix well. Cook till everything is well combined.
Add main items
When your masala is thoroughly cooked, add chickpeas & potatoes. Sprinkle a little coriander powder & mix again. Now cover the lid & cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep the flame low & stir occasionally.
Finally, add chopped onions & tomatoes. Mix one last time & put off the flame. Your street-style chana batata is ready.
Don’t forget to add tamarind paste. If you have lemon juice, then go for it.
Why is chana batata healthy?
Chana batata is a popular snack consumed during fasting. Especially in the holy month of Ramadan. There are multiple reasons why this recipe is healthy.
First thing first, there’s no cheese, butter, or vegetable ghee in it. Secondly, the quantity of cooking oil is minimal.
In short, the final dish is less oily, unlike other recipes. All in all, the amount of cooking oil that you will eat is the ridiculously bare minimum. That way you can eat chana batata almost every day in iftaar.
Moreover, black chickpeas & potatoes are heavy food items. The Kala chana is referred to as the powerhouse of nutrients. Now even if you eat boiled Kala chana alone, still it has the potential to fill your tummy.
I guess the above reasons are fair enough to convince you to eat chana batata. Try making it today & let me know in the comments.
