Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind Chutney is a versatile accompaniment to fried snacks and appetizers and also adds the signature sweet and sour taste to Bhel Puri. This chutney is very easy to make and is another great example of why cooking at home is very economical. An 8 fl. oz. bottle (1 cup) of Tamarind Chutney from the store would cost around 3 bucks, and you can make more than 10 times that volume if you purchased ingredients worth that much. I usually make a large batch since it freezes well.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: About 10 cups

Ingredients

8 oz Tamarind
16 oz Jaggery
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp Ground Roasted Cumin
1 tbsp Ginger Powder (optional)
2″ Cinnamon stick
1 Bay Leaf

NOTES:

• You can buy jaggery at any Indian/ethnic grocery store. If you can’t find it, use raw sugar as a substitute.
• Cinnamon, and especially Ginger Powder add depth to the taste of Tamarind Chutney. If using cinnamon, discard the stick once the chutney is cooked.

Yield: Approximately 10 cups.

Preparation

1. Soak the tamarind in about 8 cups of water for at least 4 hours.

Soaked tamarind

2. Using your fingers, squeeze the soaked tamarind dates to squeeze out their pulp. Be sure to squeeze out all the pulp from the tamarind pods. You should be left with only the skin and seeds at the end after you’ve strained out the pulp in the next step.

Squeeze the pulp out of the tamarind dates

Tamarind date seeds and skin

3. Using a strainer, separate the pulp from the tamarind date seeds and skin.

Straining the tamarind pulp

4. Put the tamarind pulp into a heavy-bottomed pot.

Tamarind Pulp

Cooking

Step 1
Put the pot with the tamarind pulp on medium heat and add the jaggery while stirring occasionally.

Step 2
When the jaggery melts, stir in the Red Chili Powder, Roasted Cumin Powder and continue cooking on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

Step 3
Taste the chutney and, if it is too sour, add some more jaggery or sugar to adjust the taste.

Step 4
Test the consistency of the chutney by dipping a spoon in it and taking it out. The chutney should form a layer on the spoon and stick to it.

Cooking the tamarind pulp with molasses and spices

Let the chutney cool completely before storing it. It stays good for at least a month in the fridge and can also be frozen for several months. Store it in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Tamarind Chutney

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Perfect chutney to add sweetness and sourness to snacks and appetizers.

Author: PureCurry.com

Recipe type: Accompaniment

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 10 cups

Ingredients

• 8 oz Tamarind
• 16 oz Jaggery
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 2 tbsp Ground Roasted Cumin
• 1 tbsp Ginger Powder (optional)
• 2″ Cinnamon stick
• 1-2 Bay leaves

Instructions

1. Preparation: Soak the tamarind in about 8 cups of water for at least 4 hours. Using your fingers, squeeze the soaked tamarind dates to squeeze out their pulp. Using a strainer, separate the pulp from the tamarind date seeds and skin. Put the tamarind pulp into a heavy-bottomed pot. Discard the tamarind date seeds and skin.
2. Put the pot with the tamarind pulp on medium heat and add the jaggery while stirring occasionally.
3. When the jaggery melts, stir in the Red Chili Powder, Roasted Cumin Powder and continue cooking on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.
4. Taste the chutney and, if it is too sour, add some more jaggery or sugar to adjust the taste.

Notes

Let the chutney cool completely before storing it. You can store it in the fridge for a few months, but it’s unlikely that this yummy chutney will last that long.

3.5.3229

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