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Tamarind and date chutney
Sweet and sour imli chutney. Makes 4 cups
The sweet, sour, glossy brown chutney that makes chaat: tamarind and dates boiled soft, blended and sieved, then sweetened with jaggery and spiced with cumin and red chilli. Drizzle it over samosas, bhel, pani puri, dahi vada and pakoras. It keeps for a month in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz seedless tamarind1 cup, stoned
- 1 ⅛ lb dates2 cups, stoned
- 2 cups water2 cups
- 7 oz jaggery1 cup, grated
- 1 tsp cumin seedscoarsely ground
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp saltor to taste
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 5 ½ oz seedless tamarind and 1 ⅛ lb dates in a pan with 2 cups water and boil over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft.
20 minStep 2: Leave to cool slightly, then blend until smooth.
Step 3: Press the mixture through a sieve with the back of a spoon to remove any fibres and stones. Add a little hot water to the sieve if it's too thick to pass through.
Step 4: Add 7 oz jaggery, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp salt and mix well until the jaggery has dissolved. Warm it gently for a few minutes if needed.
3 minStep 5: Cool and store in a clean jar in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 75 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tamarind and date chutney take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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