I soak raw chickpeas overnight and then pressure cook them in enough water with little salt and a tsp of oil. Drain the chickpeas and reserve liquid for use as stock.
Ingredients (Serve 2)
1 cup boiled chickpeas (or use canned)
1 medium potato, boiled, peeled & diced into bite size pieces
2 tsp oil, any neutral oil of choice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
generous pinch of hing (asofetida)
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
Other ingredients/toppings
Chopped onions - about 1/3 cup
Chopped tomatoes/ Grape tomatoes
2 Thai green chillies (adjust to tolerance)
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
Black Salt/Kala Namak ( to taste)
Chaat Masala (to taste) (available online or at indian grocery stores)
Imli/Tamarind Chutney - 2 tbsp or to taste (recipe below)
Roasted Cumin Powder- to taste
Red Chilli Powder - to taste
You can add cucumber, grated radish, pomegranate seeds, sev, crushed papris etc to add more texture and crunch.
Method
In a pan, heat up the oil. Add the cumin seeds and once they sizzle add the hing. Once you smell the aroma, add the chickpeas & potatoes. Also add the garam masala, cumin powder and salt. Toss around for 3-5 minutes till the chickpeas look shiny.Remove from heat & add the lemon juice. Mix well.
Transfer to a large enough bowl and add the listed toppings as per taste. Toss well and serve immediately.
Imli/Tamarind Chutney
I soak raw tamarind in warm water for 4-5 hours and then mash it until pulp is separated.Sieve the pulp into a bowl and discard the seeds and thick fibers. You can also use store bought but just keep in mind that its very salty & slightly acidic so adjust seasonings accordingly.
Ingredients (Makes about 1.5 cups)
1/2 cup thick,tamarind pulp(store bought or homemade)
3/4 cup - 1 cup jaggery powder/granulated sugar (adjust quantity to your sweetness)
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to tolerance)
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
1/2 tsp kala namak/black salt [available in indian stores, else replace with normal salt, adjust to taste]
1/4 tsp ginger powder
salt to taste
Up to 1/2 cup water ( you may or may not need it, usually not needed when using sugar instead of jaggery)
Method
In a small sauce pan, heat the oil.Once heated add the cumin seeds, as soon as the cumin starts to crackle, add all the ingredients listed above to the pan except water.Simmer the for atleast 20 minutes till it starts to thicken. You can adjust water once the chutney has simmered. It will thicken more on cooling. Remove from heat, let cool, transfer to a container.
Let cool completely. This can sit for unto 3 weeks in a refrigerator.
