Tamarind Date Chutney (Meethi Imli Chutney)
A glossy, sweet-tangy chutney of tamarind, soft dates and jaggery, spiced with toasted cumin, ginger and black salt. Essential for chaat, samosas, pakoras and dahi bhalla, and keeps for weeks in the fridge.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Makes
- About 2 cups (480 ml), enough for 16 servings of 2 tablespoons
Steps
Before you start
- Use seedless tamarind pulp block or whole tamarind pods; if using a block with seeds and fibers, expect to strain it well.
- Soaking the tamarind and dates in hot water takes 45 minutes, so start that first.
- Use a deep saucepan: the chutney spatters as it thickens.
- The chutney thickens a lot as it cools, so stop cooking while it still looks slightly loose.
Soak tamarind and dates
- Place the tamarind pieces and chopped dates in a heatproof bowl.
- Pour over 2½ cups (600 ml) just-boiled water.
- Stir, then let stand 45 minutes, mashing with the back of a spoon once or twice, until the tamarind has broken down into a thick, muddy pulp and the dates are very soft.
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Ready when: Tamarind pieces fall apart when squeezed and dates are squishy
Tip: Cover the bowl loosely to keep the water hot while it soaks.
Toast the spices
- Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds, if using.
- Toast, shaking the pan often, for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker.
- Tip onto a plate to cool for 2 minutes, then grind coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder.
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Ready when: Seeds smell nutty and toasty; cumin is a shade darker
Tip: Pull them off the heat the moment they smell toasty. Burnt cumin tastes bitter.
Blend the soaked mixture
- Mash the soaked tamarind and dates once more with your hands or a spoon, then transfer everything including the soaking water to a blender.
- Blend 30 to 45 seconds until mostly smooth.
- It will look like thick brown soup with flecks of fiber.
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Ready when: No large lumps of tamarind or date remain
Tip: Hold the blender lid down with a towel because the mixture is hot.
Strain the pulp
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over the saucepan.
- Pour in the blended mixture and press and scrape with a spatula to push all the pulp through.
- Pour a few tablespoons of extra water over the solids if needed.
- Discard the fibers and any seeds left in the sieve.
- You should have about 2½ cups (600 ml) of smooth liquid.
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Ready when: Only dry fibers and bits of skin remain in the sieve
Tip: Scrape the underside of the sieve too, since the thickest pulp clings there.
Dissolve jaggery and spices
- Add the jaggery, ground cumin and fennel, ginger powder, chili powder and fine sea salt to the saucepan.
- Set over medium heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the jaggery has fully dissolved and no grains remain on the spoon.
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Ready when: Jaggery has dissolved and the liquid is smooth and uniform
Simmer to thicken
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low so it bubbles steadily with small bubbles.
- Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes and more often near the end, until reduced to about 2 cups (480 ml).
- It should coat the back of a spoon and a line drawn with your finger should hold for a second or two.
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Ready when: Thickly coats a spoon, like warm maple syrup, and looks glossy
Tip: It thickens a lot as it cools. If it looks like thick jam while hot, it will set too stiff, so stop earlier.
Season and finish
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the black salt and the lemon juice, if using.
- Taste and add a pinch more fine salt, chili powder or jaggery if you want it saltier, hotter or sweeter.
- It should taste sweet first, then tangy, then savory with a hint of sulfur from the black salt.
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Ready when: Balanced sweet, sour and salty flavor
Tip: Add black salt off the heat so its aroma stays bright rather than cooking off.
Cool and store
- Let the chutney cool in the pan for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Pour it into a clean jar, cool completely uncovered, then cover and refrigerate.
- Thin with a spoonful of warm water if it has become too thick to drizzle.
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Ready when: Pourable but thick, like honey, at room temperature
Tip: Fully cool before sealing so condensation does not form and shorten shelf life.
Good to know
Tips
- Strain thoroughly: smooth chutney is what gives restaurant-style chaat its silky look.
- Taste after cooling, because chilled chutney tastes less sweet and less salty.
- Thin with warm water, a tablespoon at a time, for drizzling over chaat, and keep it thick for dipping.
- Freeze in an ice cube tray for convenient single portions.
Make ahead
"Make up to 2 weeks ahead. The flavor deepens after a day in the fridge."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours while serving. Fridge: up to 3 weeks in a clean airtight jar. Freezer: up to 3 months in ice cube trays or small containers; thaw overnight in the fridge or in a pan over low heat with a splash of water. Serve cold or at room temperature."
Substitutions
- jaggery → packed dark brown sugar. Use the same weight; the flavor is slightly less earthy.
- Medjool dates → pitted deglet noor dates. Use 130 g and soak a little longer, as they are firmer and less sweet.
- black salt (kala namak) → fine sea salt plus a pinch of chaat masala. Use ½ tsp salt; you will lose the signature eggy aroma.
- Kashmiri red chili powder → cayenne pepper. Use ¼ tsp since it is hotter.
