I have just the thing for you to take to your next potluck or bbq! Black-eyed pea chaat, also known as lobia chaat, is a tangy, sweet, and spicy bean salad.
If you’re unfamiliar with chaat, it’s an Indian snack that’s normally made with fried food (like aloo tikki or samosa). I’m sharing a healthier chaat recipe that calls for black-eyed beans, potatoes, herbs, and spices. You can top this chaat with crispy sev (thin noodles made from besan chickpea flour) and pomegranate arils (diced mango works too!).
This chaat is light and refreshing but also filling and comforting. It’s the perfect appetizer for a summertime gathering. Or serve it as a snack with chai or even as a meal.
The best part about this recipe? You can make the beans and the potatoes at the same time in the same pot. When it’s done, mix in some spices, toss it with a really flavorful dressing, and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb all of that salty, tangy, herby goodness.
Have fun with this recipe. You can add other veggies to this if you’d like (cucumber or red bell pepper would be great) but if you do, make sure to adjust spices accordingly.
I’ve added green chutney and tamarind chutney to the dressing in the recipe below, but feel free to serve this chaat with additional bowls of chutney as well as extra toppings! That way, people can add what they like to their bowls (I tend to go heavy-handed on the crispy sev, lol). Enjoy!
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Pea Chaat (Indian Bean Salad)
Cuisine: Indian
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked for 3 hours
- 1 pound gold potatoes (approx 3), peeled, leave whole
- 1 ½ cups water
Spices:
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon black salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Dressing:
- 1–2 green chilis, minced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped red onions (green onions or regular onions work too)
- 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
- 3 tablespoons green chutney
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, optional
Garnish:
- Handful of pomegranate arils, to taste (can also use diced mango!)
- Handful of sev (besan noodles), to taste
- Cilantro
- Red onion, chopped
- Serve with additional chutney, optional
Instructions
- Soak the black-eyed peas in water for 3 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Add the black-eyed peas, whole peeled potatoes, and water to the instant pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then open the valve to release remaining pressure.
- Remove the potatoes and allow them to cool. Once cool, chop them and set aside for now.
- Add the spices to the beans and mix well.
- Combine the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, then stir the dressing into the beans.
- Gently stir the chopped potatoes into the beans and allow it to all sit for 5 minutes (if there’s any water remaining in the pot, it’ll get absorbed).
- Serve warm or at room temp and garnish with pomegranate arils, sev, red onion and cilantro just before serving.
Notes
Make sure to taste the chaat and add additional salt if needed. Different chutneys have different amounts of salt, so you may decide to add more. Chaat should be tangy and salty 🙂
Also, I’ve added green chutney and tamarind chutney to the dressing but feel free to serve this chaat with additional bowls of chutney as well as extra toppings! That way people can add what they like to their bowls (I tend to go heavy-handed on the crispy sev, lol).
You can find sev (crispy besan noodles) at your local Indian grocery store. If you are gluten-free or have any allergies, make sure to read through the list of ingredients! Some brands now have a gluten-free symbol on their packaging.
For all the parents working at home with kids… I feel ya, lol.
This looks delicious! Would you be able to provide the nutrition info for this? I’m watching my carb and protein intake and would like to know if this could be a meal.
Thanks
Swathi
Wow! This looks amazing! I love chaat and can’t wait to try this! I love the pics of your sons! so cute!
Thanks, Maneesha! I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
I’m crazy about this and I’m about to make this for the third time in nine days. For the first time in my life the pleasure of eating chaat eclipses the guilt– this is pretty healthy IMO, but the full chaat experience. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Brandy, that makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this chaat! 🙂
I am looking forward to trying this! If I halve the recipe (we are empty nesters!), would i leave the time the same? Also what quantity would you recommend for potatoes?
Hi Sharmila, I haven’t tried halving the recipe but I’m sure it’ll be fine – I’d use half of all of the ingredients listed, but keep the cook time the same. Let me know what you think!