CUCUMBER N BLACK GRAM CHAAT

I am taking interest in chaats and salads these day that I never liked before. I keep looking for some good alternatives to carbohydrates, I find such dishes best suited to my changed tastebuds. I do not follow any strict diet as such or as prescribed by the dieticians. I am unable to have a heavy breakfast, light lunch and even lighter dinner. I usually prefer soups or salads for lunches. Since I had never been a salad kind of person, I try to make them suit my taste buds, turning them into chaats. I do this so that I can have two spoonful of my most favourite rice sitting together with my men at night. We usually have our dinners late when perhaps others plan to go to the bed. Well, we never claim ourselves to be healthy eaters, but then our body clock got used to it. Let me share this easy and yummy chaat recipe.This dish is a chaat kind of salad made with boiled and sautéed black gram. Though not a Bengali recipe, our mother used to prepare black gram / kala chana this way sautéed with onion and green chillies. Actually this was sold in the road side carts throughout Kolkata. How much would I slurp looking at them, our mother would not allow me to buy. Instead she would prepare it at home. At times, we used to have it with puffed rice. Modifying it into a chaat is my contribution to the dish and I can assure it will not dishearten you. A bowl full of health and taste. Let us prepare this Cucumber and Black Gram Chaat together. But black gram causes wind formation in my stomach.

INGREDIENTS [main] :

Black Gram / Kala Chana : 150gm
Onion : 1 standard sized
Green Chilli : 2-3
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp [optional]
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp [optional]
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : As Required
Cucumber : 2medium sized
Oil : 2-3tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the topping]

Date Tamarind Chutney : 4tbsp 
Plain Yogurt : 1/2small cup
Coriander Leaves : 1sprig
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Black Salt : 3- 4 pinches
Chaat Masala : 1tsp
Bhujiya or Chanachur [ salted snack, fried gram flour noodles?] : 2-3tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and soak the black gram in hot water for 3-4 hours, if you are soaking in water at room temperature, then overnight. Wash again and pressure cook up to 1 whistle adding water and a little of salt. Let cool, drain the water and wash again.

Peel, wash and slice the onion, chop the green chillies and coriander leaves. Wash them. Slice the cucumber, wash and apply a little of salt, refrigerate. Blend together the yogurt, coriander leaves, sugar and black salt. If the mixture becomes too runny, add little more yogurt and beat well. Refrigerate.

Heat the oil in a wok. Saute the onion slices and chopped green chillies until they are soft and golden brown. Add the boiled black chana, fold in well. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes. It is done. Let cool a bit.

Transfer the cooked black chana to a bowl. Arrange the cucumber pieces on the sides or chop them and mix. Add chaat masala and fold in well. Garnish with with the chanachur / fried gram flour noodles, dates-tamarind chutney and yogurt-coriander mixture. Enjoy!