A quintessential condiment, date tamarind chutney is a popular Indian accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes. This brown colored Sweet chutney for chaat is often served in most Indian restaurants as Samosa sauce . This recipe uses dates as a sweetener along with tamarind, cumin seeds and black salt to make this chutney.
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From papadum to samosas and all other chat items , this sweet tamarind chutney accentuates the complex flavors of Indian Cuisine. Find out here how to prepare homemade tamarind chutney.
Using Tamarind Pulp Concentrate
I prefer to use store-bought Tamarind pulp concentrate to make this sweet chutney with dates. A bottle goes a long way and can be stored in the refrigerator for multiple other recipes like vegetable sambar.
Adding my Amazon Affiliate link in case you want to buy Tamarind Pulp Concentrate online. It is easily available in most Indian grocery stores as well.
I am also including instructions to make tamarind pulp with dry raw tamarind pods with water.
Ingredients
Tamarind : use either ready made tamarind pulp or make it from starch using raw tamarind pods. Both these are easily available in most Indian grocery stores as well as online.
Dates : This sweet tamarind chutney is sweetened with pitted dates. Use pitted Madjool dates or Deglet Noor dates. You can use jaggery, dark brown sugar or other sugar substitutes as well but the deep rich and earthy taste will differ substantially.
Black salt : Also called kala namak, sendha namak or rock salt adds a great depth of mineral taste to this chutney. It has egg-like taste and works perfectly in Tofu Scramble and other recipes too. Adding my Amazon Affiliate link in case you want to buy Black Salt online.
Cumin Powder : Roasted cumin powder adds a wonderful earthy taste to the chutney. You can dry roast cumin seeds in a pan on low flame until they are darker brown. Let them cool completely. Grind them to smooth powder.
Optional Seasoning : Asafetida, dry ginger powder and red pepper powder or chili powder can be added for additional flavors.
How To Make Tamarind Chutney
In a large saucepan, combine water, dates and tamarind pulp.
Bring it to a boil on medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes till the dates are cooked and soft.
Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool down. Then grind it to a smooth paste using a mixer or grinder. Strain it using a fine mash strainer .
Add roasted cumin powder, black salt and red pepper powder. Mix well. Date tamarind chutney is ready!
Use as needed. Store the chutney in a dry airtight glass jar for future use.
Serving Suggestions
This Indian chutney is a must have ingredient to flavor the Indian Street Food recipes called Chaat or Chat. From Kutchi Dabeli, Matar Chaat , Ragda Pattice and Samosa Chaat, this sweet chutney for chaat is a staple in Indian food preparation.
You can also serve with pakora, dahi vada, pani puri, sev puri and other snack food.
How to Freeze
I also make a big batch of tamarind chutney to freeze for later use. Once I make the chutney, I divide it into an ice cube tray and then freeze it.
After it's completely frozen, you can remove the chutney cubes from the tray and save in zip-lock freezer bags.
These individual portions defrost quicker, avoid waste and are very useful and readily available for quick drizzle on snacks and chat.
How to Make Instant Pot Tamarind Chutney
Add 2 cups of water in the main insert. Place a trivet in the bottom.
Combine water, tamarind pulp and dates in a separate stackable stainless steel container. Put the container on the trivet. Close the lid, and vent in the SEALING position.
Choose MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes. After Instant Pot does cooking, wait for 10 minutes on keep warm timer. Then release leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING.
Open the lid. Let the mixture cool down. Then grind it to a smooth paste using a mixer or grinder. Strain it using a fine mash strainer
Add roasted cumin powder, black salt and red pepper powder. Mix well. Date tamarind chutney is ready!
Tips
The consistency of this chutney depends upon how you use it. If you want to use it as a dipping sauce, keep it thick. If you want to drizzle it over chaat items, add extra ½ cup water and make it thin so you can easily drizzle it with a spoon.
Aged tamarind tastes bitter. If you must store tamarind for long periods of time, keep it in the refrigerator.
You can make a big batch and use it multiple times. This recipe can be easily scaled to make double or triple quantities.
How to make tamarind pulp
In a glass bowl, soak tamarind in water for 1-2 hours. Overnight is preferable. Once it's soft using your hands, squeeze the pulp from the tamarind. Strain it if you prefer and use it as needed.
If you love tamarind, also try popular recipe of tamarind juice or Jugo De Tamarindo , refreshing summer drink.
Storage
You can easily store tamarind chutney in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can even freeze it to last longer. Simply thaw before using.
Other Names
Tamarind chutney is also called Imli Chutney, saunth chutney, sonth chutney or meethi chutney. In Hindi, Khajur is dates and Imli is tamarind so Khajur Imli Chutney is date tamarind chutney.
I often see this chutney referred to as Samosa Sauce. Along with Mint Cilantro Chutney, you can serve this Samosa Dipping Sauce to create a delectable flavor fiesta of sweet, spicy and savory flavors.
Substitutions
Sweetener : instead of dates, you can use regular or raw sugar, brown sugar, jaggery or apple sauce. Taste will vary some.
Additional seasonings: Dry ginger powder ( also called sunth )is great. Also asafetida can be used for flavors. You can also add red chili powder for a hint of spice.
Other Chutney Recipes
We also have a delightful collection of condiments with different sauces, pickles and dips to make simple meals extra ordinary. Do try them all.
FAQs
Tamarind Chutney can be kept in the refrigerator for a week. You can also freeze this chutney up to 3 months. To thaw, simply leave it on the counter to get to the room temperature. This chutney should not be reheated.
Tamarin chutney is made with tamarind concentrate, pitted dates or other sweetener like jaggery or brown sugar. It is flavored with roasted cumin powder and black salt.
Yes. All ingredients used in this chutney are plant based and suitable for vegan. They are also eggless, dairy free and soy free.
Yes. Make sure to use all certified gluten free ingredients.
Pressure cook the dates and tamarind along with some water and then blend it to make a smooth sauce or paste. Added spices like black salt and roasted cumin seeds are used to elevate the flavors of the tamarind chutney.
Sweet date chutney can be used as a tamarind samosa sauce. Pressure cook the dates and tamarind along with black salt and roasted cumin powder in water and then blend it to make a smooth sauce or paste. Along with mint cilantro chutney serve it as a dipping sauce for samosa, Aloo tikki or other Indian street food items.
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📖 Recipe
Date Tamarind Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tamarind pulp concentrate
- 1 cup dates - pits removed
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Black rock salt or regular salt adjust per taste
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
How To Make Date Tamarind Chutney on Stove top
- In a large saucepan, combine water, dates and tamarind pulp. Bring it to a boil on medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes till the dates are cooked and soft.
- Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool down. Then grind it to a smooth paste using a mixer or grinder. Strain it using fine mesh strainer.
- Add roasted cumin powder, black salt and red pepper powder. Mix well. Date tamarind chutney is ready! Use as needed. Store the chutney in a dry airtight glass jar for future use.
How To Make Instant Pot Date Tamarind Chutney
- Add 2 cups of water in the main insert. Place a trivet in the bottom. Combine water, tamarind pulp and dates in a separate stackable stainless steel container. Put the container on the trivet. Close the lid, and vent in the SEALING position.
- Choose MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes. After Instant Pot does cooking, wait for 10 minutes on keep warm timer. Then release leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid.
- Let the mixture cool down. Then grind it to a smooth paste using a mixer or grinder. Strain it using fine mesh strainer.
- Add roasted cumin powder, black salt and red pepper powder. Mix well. Date tamarind chutney is ready!
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