Sweet Tamarind Chutney
A classic sweet and tangy chutney made with tamarind and dates.
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 287kcal
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg