Cooking chickpeas

Cup of Yum
1. Soak 1 cup kabuli chana (white chickpeas) in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. Later drain all the water. Rinse the chickpeas in running water and again drain the water. You can also use 2.5 to 3 cups canned chickpeas. if using canned chickpeas, then you just need to mix the spices, onions, tomatoes etc and enjoy the chole chaat.
2. Take the chickpeas in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cups water.
3. Place a bowl on top of the chickpeas. Rinse and keep a medium to large potato inside the bowl. You can skip the potato if you want.
4. Cover tightly with the lid and initially pressure cook on medium flame. When you start hearing the hissing sound in the cooker, lower the flame a bit and cook for 10 to 12 whistles.
5. When the pressure falls on its own, then only remove the lid.
6. Check the potato by sliding a knife or fork through it. The fork or knife should slide easily.
7. Also check the chickpeas. You should be able to mash the cooked chickpeas easily. There should be no hardness in the center. The chickpeas should have a melt in the mouth texture. If the chickpeas is not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for a few more minutes.

Preparation for chana chaat

1. Drain all the water and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.
2. Peel the potato once it becomes warm. Then chop and keep aside.
3. Rinse, peel and then finely the onion, tomato and chilli. Also rinse and then finely chop some coriander leaves. Keep aside.

Making chana chaat

1. Take the cooked chickpeas in a mixing bowl.
2. Add all the spice powders - kashmiri red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and chaat masala. Add both black salt and regular salt as per taste. For some tang, you can also add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
3. Add the chopped potatoes. Mix very well so the spice powders and salt coats the potatoes and chickpeas.
4. Add the finely chopped onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
5. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice or add as required.
6. Again mix very well. Check the taste and you can add salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, green chillies, lemon juice more if you want.
7. Serve chana chaat in a bowl instantly. While serving garnish with some coriander leaves and sev. Adding sev is optional. You can even garnish with some crushed papdi or pani poori.