Sweet & Tangy: Homemade Imli Chutney Recipe To Experience A Burst Of Flavours

A sweet and sour Indian condiment, tamarind chutney is the classic pair to our favourite snacks such as samosas, pakoras, kachori, and also used to make chaats and pani puri. With its slightly thick consistency and smooth texture, imli chutney is simply flavourful and delicious. A simple Indian tamarind chutney can be made at home through very few ingredients such as tamarind, salt, jaggery, and ground spices. A healthier version of this imli chutney recipe includes dates, and a tamarind date chutney is even more flavourful. The sourness of the tamarind is thoroughly balanced with the sweetness of the jaggery, giving the imli chutney recipe the perfect taste. The Indian tamarind chutney recipe is easy to make at home, and can be stored in an air tight bottle in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 months.  So make it at home, and have it as a pani puri sweet chutney, or use it as a sweet chutney for chaat, or simply have it with your snacks.

Ingredients for Indian tamarind chutney

1. 50 grams deseeded tamarind
2. 100 grams dates
3. 100 grams jaggery
4. 1 tsp red chilli powder

Steps to make Imli chutney at home

1. Heat ghee in a pan, and add hing to it when it turns hot. 
2. Immediately pour water thereafter. Then add the clean tamarind and deseeded dates together to the pan.
3. Add grated jaggery. And boil all the ingredients until they turn soft and mushy. 
4. Add another cup of water, if you think the mixture needs it, since certain varieties of tamarind and dates often soak more water in order to soften. 
5. Add the spices and salt, and mix well.
6. Cook the mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes and wait for the flavours to come out. 
7. Let the mixture cool. Then add the cooled down mixture to a blender jar.
8. Add half cup boiled and cold water to the blender for the chutney to blend smoothly.
9. Blend until smooth and then pour the chutney mixture over a large sieve, and let the chutney pass through the sieve, with the help of a ladle. 
10. Check the salt level, and mix everything well once again before your sweet and tangy imli chutney is ready.

Pro tip: Do not use your hands as you sieve the chutney mixture if you intend to preserve the imli chutney for later use. 

FAQs

1. Is it necessary to use ghee? What can be the substitute?
Using ghee in this tamarind chutney recipe is optional. You can skip it if you want to.

2. How can the chutney be preserved for a longer duration?
The tamarind chutney recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 months. However, if you intend to store it for longer than that, then freeze the chutney and thaw it before using.

3. Is there an alternative for jaggery?
Jaggery is unrefined sugar and is the more healthier option, however you can add sugar instead of jaggery as well.