Sprouts Chaat

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Sprouts chaat (made with sprouted mung beans) is such a delicious and nutritious snack/salad. It is loaded with so many textures and flavors - sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and crunchy making it the perfect healthy chaat It is also totally vegan and gluten free! You will love this easy recipe.

What is chaat?

In India, “chaat” describes an entire catogory of Indian snacks. It is usually vegetarian and has so many flavors and textures. It hits practically every element that makes something craveable - sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, and crunchy.

Essentially, chaat is a quick snack that can be enjoyed at anytime of the day. It pairs really well with masala chai and is perfect snacking food to share with family and friends.

Chaat masala is one of the most important spice mixes used to make chaat. It often consists of amchoor (dry mango powder), cumin, coriander, chili and black salt (also known as kala namak). It has a spicy, sour and savory flavor and makes everything it is added to, taste lip smacking delicious. It pairs especially well with fruits and drinks and adds that perfect salty sweet combination.

About this sprouts chaat recipe

This sprouts chaat is a healthy and tasty chaat variation, made using nutritious mung bean sprouts. It is such a fun way to include sprouts in your diet. It has so many amazing textures and flavors from the fresh crunchy veggies, bright pops of pomegranate seeds and savory chaat masala. This recipe is very versatile and you can change or adjust the ingredients according to your preference/taste. It also keeps really well in the refrigerator as meal prep and makes for an amazing snack.

Why I love this recipe

It is a filling and nutrient dense food, which makes you feel more satiated. Perfect for that mid afternoon slump or to quickly satisfy your hunger pangs.
It is loaded with healthy protein and fats but very low in calories (134 per serving.).
It's a rich source of fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer (4g per serving).
It can be prepped ahead and stored for a week, making healthy snacking super easy.
It can be customized in so many different ways.

Jump to:

What is chaat?
About this sprouts chaat recipe
Why I love this recipe
Ingredients
How to sprout mung beans
How to make sprouts chaat
Tips and tricks
Frequently asked questions
Other recipes you might like
Recipe

Ingredients

Sprouted mung beans is the main ingredient in this chaat and makes it super delicious, filling and nutritious.
Sweet potato adds a subtle sweetness and is super nutritious as well.
Carrots add a lovely crunch and color to this chaat. You could also use beets in this recipe.
Tomato adds freshness and goes well with the other fresh veggies.
Red onion gets slightly pickled with the fresh lime juice and adds a fiery punch to this chaat.
Spicy green chili. Use more or less depending on how spicy you like your food.
Cilantro leaves make this chaat super light and refreshing.
Roasted peanuts adds crunch and healthy fats. You could also use any other nuts/seeds in this recipe.
Chaat masala is the main flavoring ingredient here. It adds so much savory flavor and tang to this recipe.
Kashmiri red chili powder adds subtle heat but isn't too spicy. Feel free to adjust the amount as per your spice level.
Kala namak/Indian black salt is such a unique ingredient that adds an earthy savory flavor to this chaat. I highly recommend not skipping this ingredient.
Lime juice adds a lovely tang and pickles the fresh veggies slightly, making them taste super refreshing.
Sev (thin and crispy chickpea noodles) are a common garnish for chaats in India. They are crunchy and add a lovely textural contrast to all the veggies in the chaat.
Pomegranate seeds is my favorite ingredient to add to chaats! I love the sweet and tart pops of goodness along with all the other flavors and textures, so good!

How to sprout mung beans

I used homemade mung bean sprouts in this recipe. Here's how I made them:

Step by step instructions on how to make mung bean sprouts

Wash and soak the mung beans in 3 cups of water overnight.
The next morning, drain the beans in a colander.
Cover the colander with a cloth. Place the colander in a dark spot (maybe inside your oven and microwave) for 24-36 hours.
Sprinkle the top of the mung beans with a splash of water every 8 hours or so for faster sprouting. When the sprouts have grown long enough, transfer them into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator until ready to use (for up to 3 days).

How to make sprouts chaat

Place a saucepan with 1 cup of water on the stove top and let it come up to a boil.
Then place the mung beans in a steaming basket over the boiling water and cover with a lid. Steam the mung beans for 5 minutes.
Transfer the steamed mung beans to a large bowl.
Place the chopped sweet potatoes in the same steaming basket and steam them for 5-7 minutes or until fully cooked through.

5. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the bowl with the mung beans. Into the same bowl add in the onions, tomatoes, shredded carrots, green chilies, cilantro and peanuts.
6. Mix everything together.
7. Sprinkle the chaat masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, lime juice and kala namak over the veggies and mix everything together.
8. Finally serve the chaat in bowls and garnish with pomegranate seeds and sev. Serve immediately!

Tips and tricks

Use any sprouts in the recipe. Feel free to replace the mung bean sprouts with sprouted lentils or chickpeas. Sprouted legumes are nutritional powerhouses and all of them will work well in this recipe.
Don't cook the sprouts if you like them crunchy. These sprouts can be enjoyed raw or cooked, your choice!
Use your favorite veggies to replace whatever you don't have on hand. Some delicious additions would be beets, green onions, potatoes, sweet corn, grapes and apples.
Make it more or less spicy by adding more or less green chilies in this recipe.
Double the recipe. This chaat keeps really well in the refrigerator, so make a big batch as meal prep and enjoy as a snack/salad throughout the week!
Use your favorite nuts instead of peanuts if you are not a fan of them. Feel free to leave out the nuts or replace them with seeds, if you are allergic to them.
Don't skip the pomegranate seeds as it adds a lovely pop of sweet and tart flavor that goes so well with the spices.

Frequently asked questions

Are sprouts good for weight loss?

Sprouts are very nutritious. They are rich in protein and fiber and help keep you full longer. Having a bowl of sprouts as a snack can make you feel fuller and reduce your appetite, which is quite beneficial when trying to shed weight.

Should I cook sprouts before eating?

While it is not necessary to cook sprouts before consuming, I recommend doing so. Sprouting encourages bacteria to grow and cooking sprouts will kill the bacteria. I like to steam/boil the sprouts until tender.

How should I cook sprouts?

I prefer steaming sprouts so all the nutrients remain intact (see above for detailed instructions). You could also boil the sprouts in a saucepan in a bit of water and then drain them before using.

How many calories does 1 serving of sprouts chaat have?

My recipe below makes 4 servings and each serving has 134 calories (5g protein and 4g fiber). If you leave out the sev (chickpea noodles), the calories will be further reduced.