This Indian Chickpea Salad is a delicious way to include chickpeas in your diet. It is easy, healthy, and protein-rich. You can also refer to it as chole chaat, and it is made by combining chickpeas with chopped veggies (tomato, onion, bell peppers, and cucumbers), Indian spices, and lemon dressing.
I'm addicted to chickpeas, I mean literally. So I am always on the lookout to try new chickpea recipes. I recently tried Vegan Shakshuka with Chickpeas which got so popular that I made it again just to write a post for the blog.
It is protein-rich, and you can enjoy the Salad as a snack or make it into a meal by serving the Salad with Indian flatbread like naan or roti. You can also add some green chutney and tamarind chutney to make it into a delicious Indian chaat.
Try my Chole/ Chickpea Curry or Kala Chana/ Black Chickpeas Curry. I also love Sweet Potato & Chickpeas Hash when I need some change in breakfast.
The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks for making Indian Chickpea Salad. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card, or you can also click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
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WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Protein-Rich: It is Protein-rich and keeps you full for a longer time. You can enjoy it as a snack or for a proper meal.
- Versatile: This Salad is so versatile you add any ingredients in the Salad, and the Salad will still turn out extremely incredible.
- Healthy: It is healthy as it is without using any oil and helps in weight loss too.
- Ready in no Time: When chickpeas are boiled and ready, the Salad takes only 5-10 minutes to get ready.
- Party Food: It is a great party food for picnics and BBQs.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
Indian Chickpea salad is nothing but Salad made with chickpeas in Indian flavors. It is easy, protein-rich, and a healthy recipe. You can make it using canned chickpeas or pressure the dry chickpeas for this salad recipe.
It is quite similar to a chana chaat or chole chaat. In chana chaat, chickpeas are combined with onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc., and spices like cumin powder and chaat masala. Then chutneys like tamarind and spicy green chutney are mixed to bring out the chaat flavors. Indian chaat or street food is incomplete with those chutneys.
But in this Chickpea Salad Indian style, no chutney is added. In fact, the simple dressing of lemon juice is added to the recipe. This chickpea salad tastes incredible with lots of colorful and crunchy veggies.
INGREDIENTS & SUBS
- CHICKPEAS: This is a chickpea salad, so you'll need chickpeas. You can use dry chickpeas and pressure cooks them in Instant Pot or on the stove-top pressure cooker. Or, to ease the process, you can also use canned chickpeas.
- VEGGIES: You can add as many colorful and crunchy veggies as you like. I love adding finely chopped red onion, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and sometimes boiled potatoes. This Salad tastes great with crunchy veggies.
- SEASONINGS: For seasoning, I like adding chaat masala, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and black peppers. You can also add garlic salt or dried jalapeno peppers too.
- HERBS: I like adding chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Sometimes I also like adding fresh basil leaves too.
- LEMON JUICE: Instead of any dressing, this Indian chickpea salad is made by adding only lemon juice.
- GREEN CHILI: For some hot flavor, you can use Indian green chili or seeded jalapenos. This is optional; you can also de-seed the jalapenos too.
See the recipe card for quantities.
HOW TO BOIL CHICKPEAS?
Rinse the dry chickpeas and soak in water for 6-8 hours or overnight. After soaking the chickpeas for 6-8 hours, strain in the water.
Instant Pot:
Place soaked chickpeas in Instant Pot with water and close the lid. Pressure cook using Bean setting for 30 minutes at High. Let the pressure release naturally, and then open the lid. Drain excess water, let the chickpeas come to room temperature, and then use them in the recipe.
Stove-Top Pressure Cooker:
Place soaked chickpeas in the pressure cooker with water and close the lid. Pressure cook for 5 whistles at high heat. And then at low heat for 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, and then open the lid. Drain excess water, let the chickpeas come to room temperature, and then add them to the recipe.
HOW TO MAKE INDIAN CHICKPEA SALAD
** For the full recipe, check the recipe card below, but you refer here for step-by-step photo instructions.
In a big Salad Bowl, add chickpeas. You can use pressure cook chickpeas or canned chickpeas.
When using Canned Chickpes, rinse the chcikpeas in water until water runs out clean and use it in the recipe.
Finely chop onions, cucumber, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Then add in the bowl over the chickpeas.
Then add finely chopped cilantro/coriander, mint, and basil leaves (optional).
Add spices, including red chili powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt, and black pepper.
Lastly, add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix everything until well combined. Served it as a snack or make it into a complete meal and serve with Indian flatbread like Matar Chaat.
TOP TIPS
- You can also use Kala Chana, White Peas, or Lentils instead of chickpeas.
- You can adjust the seasoning as per your preference.
- When using Canned Chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in water until water runs out clean and use it in the recipe.
- The chickpeas should not be too soft or too hard. So boil for 30 minutes at high heat.
- Skip green chili if you cannot handle the spicy flavor.
- You can add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with lemon juice and add it to the Salad as a dressing.
STORAGE
Indian Chickpea Salad tastes great when fresh & vibrant. Leftover chickpea salad will lose the crunch and the delicious flavor, and also, the veggies will turn a little soggy. But you can store the Salad in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an air-tight container.
You can also use the leftover chickpea salad as stuffing in wraps or rolls.
VARIATIONS
- OIL-FREE: Adding extra virgin olive oil is optional. So you can make this salad oil-free and guilt-free. It will still taste good.
- SPICY: You can make it spicy by adding green chili or jalapenos with red chili powder.
- DELUXE: you can make it rich by adding some fried or air-fried nuts to the Salad for crunch.
- CREAMY: You can make this Salad creamy by adding yogurt dressing instead of simple lemon juice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you can use roasted chickpeas or lentils to make this Salad. You can make it at home in the oven or the air fryer. Or you can also get it from Indian Store.
Yes, you can use canned chickpeas in the chickpea salad. Just rinse the chickpeas until water runs out clean and mix with other ingredients.
Yes, Indian Chickpea Salad is vegan and made using only plant-based ingredients.
Everything goes well in chickpea salad. You can use colorful veggies like onion, bell peppers, lettuce or kale, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, cilantro, mint, radish, etc.
For the dressing, you can use lemon juice, yogurt dressing, tahini dressing, and avocado dressing, and the list is unlimited.
Yes, chickpea salad is healthy as chickpeas have abundant vitamins and minerals in them. It is protein-rich and helps in weight loss too. This Salad doesn't have any oil and is, in fact, filled with veggies, so it keeps you full for a longer time.
CHICKPEA RECIPES
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Indian Chickpea salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chickpeas or canned chickpeas
- 4 cups water for boiling
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 2 cup Cherry tomatoes chopped
- 2 Persian Cucumber chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper finely chopped
- ¼ cup Coriander Leaves chopped
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves finely chopped
- ¼ cup Basil leaves optional
- 2 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1-2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder as needed
- 1 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
- Salt & Pepper
Equipment
Method
- Stove-top: Place soaked chickpeas in the pressure cooker with water and close the lid. Pressure cook for 5 whistles at high heat. And then at low heat for 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, and then open the lid. Drain excess water, let the chickpeas come to room temperature and then add them to the recipe.Instant Pot: Place soaked chickpeas in Instant Pot with water and close the lid. Pressure cook using Bean setting for 30 minutes at High. Let the pressure release naturally, and then open the lid. Drain excess water, let the chickpeas come to room temperature and then add them to the recipe.
- In a big Salad Bowl, add chickpeas. You can use pressure cook chickpeas or canned chickpeas.(Note: When using Canned Chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in water until water runs out clean and use it in the recipe.)
- Finely chop onions, cucumber, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Then add in the bowl over the chickpeas.
- Then add finely chopped cilantro/coriander, mint leaves, and basil leaves (optional).
- Add spices, including red chili powder, chaat masala, garam masala powder, cumin powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Lastly, add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix everything until well combined. Served it as a snack or make it into a complete meal and serve it with Indian flatbread.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- You can also use Kala Chana, White Peas, or Lentils instead of chickpeas.
- You can adjust the seasoning as per your preference.
- When using Canned Chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas in water until water runs out clean and use it in the recipe.
- The chickpeas should not be too soft or too hard. S0 when boil for 30 minutes at high heat.
- Skip green chili if you cannot handle the spicy flavor.
- You can add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with lemon juice and add it to the salad as a dressing.
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