Mrs. Green Chutney 😉
Where there is spice, there must be some sweet goodness to complement it 🙂 So to complement and complete my previous recipe post, today I will share my mother’s recipe for what I think is the other quintessential chutney for any household – Imli Chutney or the Tamarind-Date Sweet Chaat Chutney that is at the heart of most North-Indian street food, particularly chaat.
dates (seeded) – 2 cups
jaggery – 1 cup (can substitute with sugar/brown sugar)
dry tamarind – 1 1/2 inch diameter ball (can substitute with tamarind concentrate)
jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tablespoon
red chili powder – 1 pinch
salt – 1 pinch
water – 3-4 cups
Procedure:
1. Boil all ingredients in 3 cups of water. Once the mixture comes to a boil, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Puree boiled mixture using a hand blender or cool and then blend in a mixer/food processor. If the mixture seems too thick, add some more water.
3. Strain pureed mixture using a colander into another pot. This will help separate the fibers and inedible parts from the tamarind, dates and jaggery.
4. Simmer strained mixture for 10 minutes.
5. Let the chutney cool and then transfer to an airtight container to refrigerate.
Sweet and Tangy Imli Chutney or Tamarind-Date Chaat Chutney is ready to enjoy.
Imli Chutney is Lion King’s favorite, and no amount is ever too much 🙂 This is one of two permanently stocked chutneys (the other one being spicy Green Chutney) in my fridge. I can make bhel puri or any item in the chaat family in a heartbeat. I use it as bread spread, sandwich spread, dipping sauce, pizza sauce, etc. etc.
This chutney keeps well in the fridge for up to a week or two. It is time to restock by then anyway 🙂 You could even freeze it. That’s what my mother does and it works really well.
To sweet and spicy life 🙂
