This sweet and tangy tamarind chutney aka Imli Chutney is made with dates, tamarind, and spices. And it’s literally a MUST-have around the house for all Pakistani/Indian chaats and snacks.
‘Imli’ or Tamarind is a super sour flavoring ingredient. This recipe uses a LOT of it and balances that sourness out with some heat from spices and sweetness from dates (or other sweeteners). The overall hit of flavor is definitely sweet and tangy with a bit of heat in there.
No Pakistani/Indian Chaat is complete without imli chutney, oh and neither is the ever-so-popular dahi bhalley (or baray). It can last for months in the fridge and more so in the freezer!
Jump to:
Ingredients/Substitutes
This recipe uses some basic Pakistani spices, vegetables, chicken and some pantry staples. Here are a couple of pointers about the ingredients.
- Tamarind (Imli)-
This is the main ingredient of the chutney and therefore a must. The most easily available tamarind is in these 3 forms:- Tamarind block with seeds
- Tamarind block without seeds
- Tamarind Paste
The paste is a ready-to-use option where no real cooking is needed. While the block tamarind takes a little bit of time to extract the tamarind concentrate. I’ve mentioned how to use both in the recipe
- Sweetener – The sweetness comes from the dates in this recipe. It adds a layer of flavor depth that regular sugar does not. I used organic date syrup available at my local grocery store. But worry not, if you can’t get your hands on that, get date paste instead OR make your paste at home with whole dates. However, dates aren’t compulsory to use in the recipe. Use any sweetener of your liking:
- Regular white sugar
- Brown sugar or molasses
- Coconut sugar
- Artificial sweeteners like stevia
- Honey
- A combination of these sweeteners.
- Salt, spices – The flavoring in this recipe comes from roasted cumin, coriander, and red chilies. Also known as the DAHI BARA spice mix. You can make your own spice mix or buy a boxed dahi bara spice blend at your local Asian grocery store.
- Optional Ingredients – Asafoetida (hing) and dry ginger powder (saunth) are also 2 commonly used ingredients in tamarind chutney. Add a pinch of Asafoetida and 1/2 tsp of ginger powder to add another layer of flavor.
NOTE: Asafoetida has a very strong aroma and taste, so if you’ve never tried it or added it to your food, it’s best to avoid it with this chutney.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.
You can skip steps 1- 4 if you are using ready-to-use tamarind paste for this recipe.
STEP 1: Place a colander in a heat-proof bowl and put tamarind blocks inside the colander.
STEP 2: Pour boiling water at least 2 cups or enough to soak the entire block completely. Set aside for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Use a spoon or fork to break the block of tamarind into little pieces.
STEP 4: Add 1 cup of cold water to reduce the temperature. Now use your hands to squeeze all the chunks of tamarind to release all the tamarind juices from the seeds etc. Pick up the colander and allow all the tamarind juice to strain into the bowl
IMPORTANT: Always test the water temperature first before dipping your hands into it to squeeze out the juices from the tamarind block. You can also repeat step 4 as much as you like if you feel there is more tamarind juice to be extracted, all your water will cook down eventually.
STEP 5: Transfer the liquid into a pot and add all the seasonings.
STEP 6: Boil the tamarind juice at medium flame for 20 minutes.
STEP 7: Allow the liquid to reduce to half of its original volume.
STEP 8: Add date syrup/date paste/ or any sweetener you prefer. Simmer the chutney for 10 minutes at medium-low heat.
STEP 9: Allow the chutney to cool down uncovered.
STEP 10: Your chutney will thicken as it cools down, transfer to airtight jars.
Allow your chutney to cool down and store them in airtight glass jars in the fridge. Go ahead and enjoy it as you like!
Expert Tips
- Always use a glass jar to store condiments.
- Make sure your jar or storage bags are dry before pouring your chutney in it.
- Don’t overcook the chutney to get a thicker consistency. You may end up burning it. Instead, let the chutney air dry while it cools. It’ll thicken up considerably.
- Always use a clean dry spoon whenever using the chutney from the fridge.
- The chutney tends to boil like rice does, so make sure your chutney water only reaches up to 3 quarters of your saucepan and there is enough room for the chutney to rise while it boils.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pour the chutney into a dry glass jar with an airtight lid. Keep the chutney refrigerated when not in use. Use a clean dry spoon everytime you need to have some chutney time.
The chutney can stay fresh in the fridge for upto 70 days and indefinitely in the freezer. The longest it has stayed in my freezer is for about a year
Ofcourse! In Fact you can use any sweetener you like! There’s a whole list of substitutes up ahead. The only reason dates are preferred in this chutney is because they not only act as a nutritious sweetener, but also add that thick texture to the chutney.
Serving Suggestions
Like I said, this imli ki chutney works as a topping sauce or a dipping sauce with a LOT of snacks and mains. Here are some ideas:
- On dahi bara (fried lentil fritters in yogurt)
- With mix chaats like Papri Chaat (mix chickpea, veggies and yogurt)
- Perfect to pair with bbqs like chicken tikka etc
- Use as the sweet chutney for pani puris
- I would totally give this as favor to my non-desi folks to try it out.
- On paratha rolls, sandwiches, or wraps.
- With Indian/Pakistani fried snacks like pakoras, kachori samosas, etc.
Similar Recipes for you to try.
Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!
Sweet Tamarind Chutney
Ingredients
- 1½ cup date syrup see notes for substitutes.
- 1 tsp salt or to taste see notes
- 2 tbsp Dahi bara spice mix Homemade or bought
- 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
- 1 tsp chat masala powder see notes
Tamarind- Use only ONE of these three options
- 300 gm tamarind pulp block with seeds
- 200 gm tamarind pulp block without seeds
- 100 gm tamarind paste unflavoured
Instructions
Tamarind Chutney using Tamarind blocks
- Place a colander in a heat-proof bowl and put tamarind blocks inside the colander. Now, pour boiling water at least 2 cups or enough to soak the entire block completely. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Use a spoon or fork to break the block of tamarind into little pieces. Add another 1 cup of cold water to bring down the water temperature. Now use your hands to squeeze all the chunks of tamarind to release all the tamarind juices from the seeds etc. Test the water temperature first before dipping your fingers into it. Don't worry about how much water you are using, we'll cook it down eventually.
- Pick up the colander and allow all the tamarind juice to strain into the bowl. Transfer the tamarind juice to a cooking pot. You can repeat the previous step if you think there is more juice to be extracted.
- Add all the seasoning (minus the date syrup) and boil the tamarind juices at medium flame for 20 minutes. Your tamarind juice should be reduced to half its original quantity.
- Now add date syrup, date paste or any other sweetener you prefer. Let the chutney simmer for another 10 minutes at medium-low heat.
- Turn off the heat and do a taste test to check salt, heat and sweetness. Adjust salt according to your liking.
- Allow the chutney to cool down uncovered. It'll thicken a bit more as it cools. Transfer into waterproof jars and store in the fridge.
Tamarind Chutney using tamarind paste
- Add all the ingredients in a cooking pot with 4 cups of water. Boil at medium high flame for 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and do a taste test to check salt, heat, and sweetness. Adjust salt according to your liking.
- Allow the chutney to cool down uncovered. It'll thicken a bit more as it cools. Transfer into waterproof jars and store in the fridge.
Notes
DATE SYRUP ALTERNATES
- Make your own date paste at home by soaking 1 and 1/2 cups of pitted dates in boiling water for 10 mins. Discard the water and blend the dates in a blender to make a paste.
- Other sweeteners you can use are Jaggery, brown sugar, and honey. Use 1 cup of any of these sweeteners for the recipe given above.
Other Notes
- Dahi bara masala is a dry roasted ground spice mix made with whole red chilies, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. For this recipe, use 8 whole red chilies, 1 tbsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds. Dry roast them in pan and grind to make a coarsely ground spice mix.
- Chaat masala is a South Asian finishing spice used to sprinkle on salads, and street food and other recipes. You can easily get this in any South Asian grocery store. IF you don’t have any, you can skip it altogether and just increase the dahi bara spice by 1 tsp.
- Optional Ingredients – Asafoetida (hing) and dry ginger powder (saunth) are also 2 commonly used ingredients in a tamarind chutney. Add a pinch of Asafoetida and 1/2 tsp of ginger powder to add another layer of flavor.
- Store the chutney in an airtight jar in the fridge. It can last for 2 to 3 months.
- To freeze the chutney, transfer it into a ziplock bag and freeze. Simply thaw on counter when need to use.
sajjad huaasin says
this recipe is so perfect and good i like it very much God Bless you
Wajiha says
im soo glad it worked for you!