There’s really nothing quite like enjoying fresh tamarind from the street vendor in India! My mother always excitedly grabs a pound of it, and for good reason! We also love to turn the fresh tamarind into chutney at home. This Tamarind Date Chutney is a delicious homemade sweet and sour condiment that pairs well with Indian chaats and snacks. The flavor is comparable to the sweet yet tangy flavor profile in pomegranate molasses and chamoy. The fresh Medjool dates add a naturally sweet, deeply caramel flavor that’s a match made in heaven with the ripe fresh tamarind. Using Medjool dates also means we can significantly cut down on adding almost half a cup of sugar to the chutney! Dates also add fiber to the chutney, making it easier to digest all the fried foods and snacks we’re eating it with.
Why You’ll love this Recipe
What is Tamarind Chutney?
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Tamarind - Tamarind is sweet like brown sugar and has sour tangy after notes, much like lime juice. This recipe starts with fresh whole tamarind which can be found at most major or ethnic grocery stores. I measured 150 grams of tamarind with the outer husk and veins removed. It came down to 75 grams after removing the seeds for this recipe. Use 75 grams of seedless tamarind paste, which are thick blocks of tamarind pulp compressed together with the outer shell removed. Some tamarind paste still has seeds in it, so you’ll want to loosen the paste in 2 cups of hot water and mash it with clean or gloved hands to rehydrate the paste. This way, you can strain out the seeds before they end up in your chutney. Tamarind concentrate can be intensely sour and is better in small doses for soups, stews, dal, etc. I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and adjusting from there. Dates - Medjool dates are the best variety for chutney. They’re large, soft, and naturally sweet compared to other varieties. There are many health benefits to adding them into your diet, such as added vitamins, minerals, and high fiber (WebMD). The fiber added into this chutney makes it easier to digest the fried foods it’s being eaten with. They’re available pitted at the grocery store which makes this recipe quicker. Substitute ½ cup of date syrup and omit the jaggery. Spices - We’re using roasted ground cumin, garam masala, dry ginger powder, and mild Kashmiri chili powder for heat. If you don’t have roasted cumin powder, dry roast cumin seeds in a hot pan for a minute, or until fragrant. Then grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. For a spicier chutney, use cayenne pepper instead of Kashmiri chili powder. Don’t use fresh ginger. It’ll shorten the shelf-life of the chutney and has a different flavor than the dried powder. If you don’t have garam masala, use small pinches of individual spices like black pepper, ground cloves, and ground cinnamon. Salt - Black salt, or kala namak, is very umami in flavor. It’s quite strong, so we don’t need to use a lot. If you’re using kosher salt, double the amount. Black Cardamom - Black cardamom is completely optional. It has a very strong savory flavor and aroma. It’s best when freshly ground with a mortar and pestle. Use it sparingly. I only used about half of the resulting powder. Substitute the black cardamom with a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Jaggery - Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that’s popular in India, with a significant amount of molasses still in it. Since we’re using sweet Medjool dates, we don’t need to use too much jaggery in this recipe. Substitute it with half white sugar and half dark brown sugar. If you’re not using Medjool dates, use ½ cup of jaggery or to taste.
How to make Tamarind-Date Chutney
1. Process the Dates and Fresh Tamarind
To prep, start by pitting the Medjool dates. It’s easiest to take a paring knife and cut a slit down one side to remove the seed.
I show you how to process fresh tamarind to make chutney if you are blessed with a bounty of it from a tamarind tree. There’s also notes on starting with tamarind paste or concentrate from a grocery store. This sweet tamarind chutney recipe uses Medjool dates to naturally sweeten the chutney and cut back on the loads of sugar this chutney typically has. Imli Chutney is gluten-free and vegan. It’s also a shelf-stable condiment to keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Even longer if it’s frozen. I provide you with instructions on how to make it in half the time with an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Imli Chutney is used as a condiment with fried snacks like aloo samosas and pakora for dipping. It especially makes an appearance in chaat where it’s used as a saucy topping, like in Dahi Vada. Imli Chutney is commonly found paired with it’s sister chutney, Cilantro-Mint Chutney. The Imli Chutney is tangy, sweet, and savory while the cilantro chutney is herby, fresh, and citrusy. The black cardamom is completely optional, but it has this intense savory aroma and flavor that adds an oomph to the chutney. Grind the cardamom pod in a mortar and pestle into a coarse powder. Remove as many of the veins as you can. Some are really embedded in the fruit so it’s easier to remove them after soaking them in water. Do not toss the soaking water! We are using it for this recipe. Strain the remaining soaking water into a liquid measuring cup. Strain the soaking water into a liquid measuring cup. Be sure to open the blender and scrape down the sides to ensure everything gets incorporated nicely into the puree. This resulted in about 1.25 cups of puree.
2. Make the Chutney
Instant Pot Imli Chutney Instructions
Instant Pot Imli Chutney is even quicker to make than the stovetop version! Transfer the date tamarind chutney into a sanitized 16-ounce mason jar. Let it cool completely before covering it with the lid and storing it in the refrigerator. Any residual heat will trap steam in the jar and reduce the shelf life significantly.
Serving Suggestions
Storage Instructions
Be sure the chutney has completely cooled down before putting a lid on it. Any residual steam trapped in the jar will shorten the shelf life significantly. It can also be used as a topping along with green chutney for Indian chaats such as Chole Samosa Chaat, Dahi Bhalla Chaat, Bhel Puri, Papdi Chaat, Dahi Puri, and Aloo Chaat. The tamarind chutney with dates is also mixed with water to make the liquid for Pani Puri. Tamarind Chutney can be stored in a sanitized airtight container the refrigerator for up to 6 months, depending on the freshness of the tamarind and dates. Note: Be sure to always use a clean spoon and clean hands when taking the amount of chutney needed. Put it back in the refrigerator right away.
More Chutney, Achaars, and Sauce Recipes to try
If you have leftover tamarind paste, be sure to make these Mango-Tamarind Cauliflower Bites.
Recipe
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