The Chana Salad is a fresh recipe with crisp apples, colorful sweet potatoes, juicy grape tomatoes, and white chana. The dressing for this salad is made with a tamarind base infused with jaggery and walnut oil with a hint of ginger. This salad comes together in a few minutes, can be customized for your palate, and can be refrigerated for a few days, so it can be made ahead of time!
Chana as it is commonly known in India, is called chickpeas in the US and garbanzo beans in Europe. For over three decades of my experiences with experimentation in cooking chana, I have made a variety of chana dishes in different cuisines. This Chana Salad recipe has been adapted from one of the cooking classes that I learned in India as a teenager. This teacher’s recipe called for mint chutney and potatoes.
I built on her recipe by making a dressing with tamarind pulp that is infused with powdered jaggery, spices such as chili powder and cumin and a dash of ginger. Walnut oil elevated the nuttiness of the chana, lending a wholesome taste to the Chana Salad recipe. I have used sweet potatoes for their nutrient-dense composition and fresh crisp apples for added crunchiness. This salad is more suitable in the fall when sweet potatoes and apples are in abundance.
Benefits of chickpeas or chana:
I have added freshly soaked and cooked chana, although canned chana is an option. Chana is an ideal replacement for meat as it has several benefits:
- very satisfying, so keeps you full for longer as it increases the appetite-reducing hormones
- packed with protein and fiber
- high in manganese and folate
- helps regulate blood sugar levels
- boosts bone health
- contains most of the essential amino acids
Frequently Asked Questions:
Could I make this recipe without soaking the chickpeas?
If you choose to make the Chana Salad without pre-soaking the dried chana the previous night, then please follow this method. Rinse the dried chana, add boiling water and cover with a lid. Let the chana rest for 45 minutes. You could then cook using an instant pot, pressure cooker, or the open boiling method. Simply add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if using the open boiling method. Test if the chana is cooked through if it is not grainy when squished with your fingers.
How much water do I add to cook the chana?
To open boil the chana, take a large pot and fill it with enough water to submerge the chana with a pinch of salt. The ratio is 1 part raw chana to 3-4 parts of water.
If you’ve tried this recipe or have questions, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share (below) your thoughts, comments, or any questions that you might have. And if you like my recipes, you could subscribe to my mailing list for the latest recipes that will be delivered straight to your inbox. From my pen to your table, Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
For the salad:
Beans: chana; variation: brown chana
Fruit/veggie: apple/ grape tomato and purple sweet potato – vary with orange or white sweet potato, cucumber or potatoes
Herb: coriander or mint
Aromatics: fresh ginger and shallot, and/or green chili
For the dressing:
Base: tamarind pulp
Spices: chili powder, cumin
Sweetener: powdered jaggery or dark brown sugar
Aromatics: fresh ginger or dried ginger powder
Oil: walnut oil; vary with olive oil or peanut oil
Nuts: walnuts or pecans
How to make the Chana Salad using my recipe:
- How to make the dressing:
- Whisk the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl.
2. How to make the salad:
- Mix the shallots, grape tomatoes, green chili, cilantro and salt in a bowl.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chana and toss in the apple and the tomato mixture.
- Now, add the cooked sweet potato and walnuts. Mix them well.
- Drizzle the tamarind dressing and mix again. Serve warm or refrigerated.
- You can use this Chana Salad recipe and make it ahead of time. Please add salt just before serving to prevent the salad from becoming watery.
- If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them before using in the salad.
Serving suggestions:
This Chana Salad recipe is perfect for fall months and can be served as a snack anytime during the day. It can be served as a soup and salad combo on days when you do not want to cook. You can serve it on a bed of cooked quinoa, lentils, or even rice. It has a good shelf life. I have even packed the Chana Salad as a snack for our road trips.
Storage:
This quick and easy salad can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a week. As with most salads, freezing is not a viable option, although that being said, you could freeze the cooked chana for three months and simply thaw the chana and add the other ingredients before serving.
Other apple and chickpea recipes that you will love:
Chana Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker, by hand
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup chana cooked, drained
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 purple sweet potato cooked, peeled and cubed
- 4 sprig coriander fine chopped
- 5 Asian shallot chopped
- 6 grape tomato quartered
- ½ tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 Thai green chili deseeded, minced
- ¼ tsp salt
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp tamarind pulp
- ½ tbsp powdered jaggery
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp walnut oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp walnut chopped
Instructions
How to make the dressing:
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl.
How to make the salad:
- Mix the shallots, grape tomatoes, green chili, cilantro and salt in a bowl.
- In a mixing bowl, add the cooked chana and toss in the apple and the tomato mixture.
- Now, add the cooked sweet potato and walnuts. Mix them well.
- Drizzle the tamarind dressing and mix again. Serve warm or refrigerated.
Video
Notes
- Please feel free to customize the salad with your choice of other veggies. Sweet potatoes and chana should not be overcooked.
- If serving the salad warm, just heat the chana and then add all the other ingredients.
Nutrition
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