Roasted Chana-Peanut Chakna
The classic Indian dry mix, weighted towards roasted chana, the best protein-for-calories option among dry snacks, with peanuts for crunch and curry-leaf tempering for aroma.
- Region
- Pan-Indian
- Status
- Traditional
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min
- Serves
- 10 (about 37 g, a small katori, each)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Office drawer, travel, evening tea
- Tags
- Good source · Quick · Meal-prep friendly · Dairy-free · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free* · No added sugar
- Allergens
- Peanuts
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 155 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per serving | 155 | 8 g | 14 g | 7 g | 1 g | 5 g | 1 g | 5.5 g |
Good source. Calorie-dense: measure the portion rather than eating from the jar. IFCT 2017 has no roasted-chana entry; Bengal gram dal values are used. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 250 g roasted chana (dalia), with or without skin
- 120 g raw peanuts
- 10 g groundnut oil (2 tsp) · 15 curry leaves · 2 dry red chillies, broken · ½ tsp turmeric · ½ tsp red chilli powder · 1 tsp chaat masala · ½ tsp black salt · ½ tsp amchur
Method
- Dry-roast peanuts in a heavy kadhai on medium-low for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the skins crack and the nuts smell toasty. Cool slightly.
- Heat oil on medium. Add curry leaves and red chillies; fry 30 seconds until the leaves are crisp.
- Lower the heat. Add turmeric and chilli powder, then the roasted chana and peanuts. Toss 2 minutes until evenly coated.
- Off the heat, sprinkle chaat masala, black salt and amchur. Toss again.
- Cool completely before storing.
Protein optimisation
- Roasted chana supplies 5.5 g per serving and peanuts 3 g (8 g in all).
- Boost: add 50 g roasted soy nuts to the batch (about +2 g protein and +20 kcal per serving; adds soy).
- Keep the ratio chana-heavy; switching to more peanuts or cashews raises calories faster than protein.
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Gujarati-style — add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp sesame seeds with the spices (adds about 5 kcal per serving).
- Substitution: roasted moong dal or roasted matki in place of some chana.
- Storage: 3 weeks in an airtight jar.
- Food safety: store dry; discard if it smells rancid.
- Meal prep: excellent; pre-portion into 37 g bags.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com