I make this bold and colorful dish at least 10 times every Ramadan. It has become a staple on our iftar kitchen table. And oh my god, is it a crowd-pleaser!

And the best part is that it is quick to make and requires minimal effort, thus making it perfect for a weekday after a long fast where you really don’t have the energy to stand around a stove frying pakora or rolling up spring rolls.

It’s got all the right elements – sweet, salty, spicy, savory.

Ingredients – chickpeas, hot sauce, tamarind chutney, turmeric, chaat masala, garam masala, pita chips, yogurt, tomato, cucumber, potatoes, cilantro, sev (not pictured here)

Channa Masala

To start the dish off, I make a quick chana masala for the base – just a little bit of caramelized onions, garam masala, and canned garbanzo beans. (If you’re really in a rush, you can even skip this step and just toss in the garbanzo beans.) To add some starch, I use potatoes. Some chaats I’ve noticed add boiled potatoes. But I like to cut them up into bit-size pieces and roast them in the oven with a little bit of salt and turmeric until they’re lightly crispy.

turmeric potatoes to be roasted

Then I add a quick refreshing salad – a mix of tomato, cucumber, cilantro, and red onion. For crunch, I add some sev (a fried indian snack made of chickpea flour that looks like thick yellow strings) and broken up pita chips (if you want to go the traditional route, add in papdi – you can find them usually at indo-pak grocery stores.)

cucumber, cilantro, tomato, red onion

Layer it up

Lastly, I top it off with some yogurt, tamarind chutney, red-chili sauce (or harbenero), chaat masala, and cilantro chutney. I layer the dish so that you get a little bit of everything in each bite. And there you have it – an easy weekday iftar appetizer that’s healthy and a great alternative to anything fried!

***This is best made within twenty-minutes of serving. If you let it sit for too long, it will get soggy!

Ramadan Chaat

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 15.5 oz chickpeas
1 potato
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt (for potatoes)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 small onion (divided)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp salt (for chana masala)
1 small cucumber
1 tomato
1/4 tsp salt (for salad)
2-3 handfuls paapdi or pita chips
1/2 cup sev
3-4 tbsp tamarind chutney
2-3 tsp cilantro chutney
4 tbsp yogurt
1-2 tbsp red hot chilie sauce (or to taste)
1/4 tsp chaat masala (optional)

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400 F. Peel and wash your potato. Cut into bit size pieces.
Add potato, 1/4 tsp of salt, turmeric, black pepper, and oil into a baking dish. Bake until lightly brown and slightly crunchy. This should take about 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, prep your salad. Dice your cucumber, red onion, tomato, and cilantro. Divide the onion - half will be for the salad, the other half you will use for the chana masala.
Work on your chana masala. Drain your chickpeas and rinse well. Add your oil to a hot pan and 1/2 of your small onion to the pan. Once they are brown and caramelized, add in your chickpeas, garam masala, and salt. Sautee for a few more minutes or until flavors are well combined.
Once your potatoes are done roasting, your salad is prepped, and your chana masala is done cooking, you are ready to assemble the dish.
In your serving bowl, add a thin layer of yogurt to the bottom. Then crush a handful of pita chips/paapdi and add that on top.
Add your potatoes and add a few teaspoons of sev. Take a tablespoon or so of your tamarind chutney and drizzle that around the dish. Do the same with the cilantro chutney and the hot sauce.
Now add your chana masala, a few more teaspoons of your various chutneys, and another handful of pita chips/paapdi.
Add your salad on top (makes sure it is combined and that you seasoned with a little bit of salt.) Add your yogurt in dollops as well as your remaining chutneys. Add your last handful of chips/paapdi and your remaining sev.
Serve this within 20 minutes! If you let it sit for too long, it will become soggy!