Protein Packed Black-Eyed Peas Chaat

Protein Packed Chaat Made With Black-Eyed Peas, Tangy Toppings And Vegetables.

As Priya Krishna once said, chaat is not another food, it’s a “way of life”. Chaat is one of India’s more notable street foods and covers a broad range of delicious snacks. Typically, chaat combines contrasting flavors like sweet, spicy, sour, tangy, soft and crunchy elements in a harmonic way. There are tons of different types of chaat, each presented and prepared in unique ways. Because of this reason, chaat is not just a food – it’s a way of life.

Breaking Down Chaat

Over the years, chaat has taken on numerous forms with many modern twists. However, when it comes down to the foundation, chaat has five main components:

• The “Base”: The base is often what determines the personality of the chaat. Bhel Puri uses puffed rice, while samosa chaat uses samosas. For this Black-Eyed Peas chaat, the base is the black-eyed peas which are high in protein!
• The Masala: Chaat Masala is a very distinctive spice blend that adds a tangy, spicy zing to chaat. It is often used in combination with red chili powder and salt.
• The Vegetables: In this recipe, we use tomatoes and onions to bulk up the chaat.
• The Crunch Factor: Many chaats are topped off with something crunchy, like thin sev, as the finishing touch.
• The Sauce: This “wet component” marries together all the individual components of the chaat. We use tamarind chutney and yogurt for this chaat.

Cooking The Black-Eyed Peas

The first step is to soak the peas in water the night before. 1 dried cup of black eyed peas results in 3 cups of cooked peas, so plan accordingly. If, for some reason you forget to do it the night before, you can add it to a Tupperware with really hot water + a pinch of salt and close the lid for 2-3 hours.

For actually cooking the black eyed peas, you have a few options: Pressure Cook, Instant Pot or Stovetop. I personally use the Instant Pot, but here is an article with detailed instructions on each method! Whatever method you use, add some salt to the pot before cooking.

Why We Use Black Eyed Peas

Traditionally, the base of chaat is packed with carbs and very little protein. The absence of protein is the reason many people feel hungry again soon after eating their chaat. Black-eyed peas are protein packed, full of fiber and incredibly nutrient dense. Not to mention, they are delicious in this chaat! Using these peas as the base of the chaat will leave you feeling satiated longer.

Protein Packed Black-Eyed Peas Chaat

---

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

• Total Time: 20
• Yield: 2 bowls 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Protein packed chaat made with black-eyed peas, tangy toppings and vegetables.

---

Ingredients

Scale

1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x 13x 14x 15x 16x 17x 18x 19x 20x

1x2x3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x 13x 14x 15x 16x 17x 18x 19x 20x

• 1 cup dry black eyes peas or cowpeas (or 3 cups cooked)
• ½ red onion, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 1 tomato, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• ½ tsp amchur
• ½ tsp chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt or vegan yogurt
• 2 tbsp tamarind sauce or chutney
• 3 tbsp Cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp sev

 

---

Instructions

1. Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in 3 cups of water. In the morning, drain and pressure cook in the Instant Pot with 3 cups of water and a heavy pinch of salt. I pressure cook in the instant pot for 15-20 minutes on high. If you don’t have an instant pot, use the stovetop method from here. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
2. To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked peas, tomatoes, onion, green chili. Mix until combined.
3. Sprinkle on the chaat masala, red chili powder, amchur and salt. Stir to combine. Add the yogurt and tamarind chutney. Mix one last time until everything is incorporated.
4. Top with the extra red onions, cilantro and sev. If you’re planning to use this for meal prep or eat later, add the sev right before consuming to maintain the crunch.

• Prep Time: 20
• Category: Chaat
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Indian