Imli Chutney: Tamarind Jaggery Chutney

Classic imli chutney – a sweet and sour chutney made of tamarind (imli) and jaggery. Drizzle tamarind jaggery chutney over dahi vadas and chaats, dip your samosas and kachoris into it or have it on the side with any Indian meal.

You Need:

• Dried tamarind – a lemon-sized ball
• Jaggery – 1 small cup, powdered [buy here]
• Dry red chilies – 2, or a teaspoon of red chili flakes
• Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Roasted cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Water – 1.5 cups
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 1 teaspoon

How To Make Imli Chutney:

Soak the dried tamarind in 2 cups of warm water for 30 minutes.

Mash the tamarind into the water and separate out the seeds from the tamarind pulp.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a kadhai/skillet. Crush the dry red chilies into flakes, and tip this into the hot oil. As soon as the chili flakes begin to turn dark, add the extracted tamarind juice, and cook on high flame for five minutes.

Stir in a cup of jaggery powder next, with salt, roasted cumin powder and red chili powder, and continue to cook on medium flame till the chutney begins to thicken (about ten to fifteen minutes).

Note: Taste and adjust the spices/jaggery before the chutney begins to thicken!

Cook longer if you want the chutney more dense. Switch off the heat when it is a little runnier than how you want it to be – tamarind jaggery chutney thickens further as it cools.

Let the chutney cool to room temperature. Transfer to a jar.

Enjoy its tangy-sweet goodness with your meal. Tamarind jaggery chutney is especially good with deep-fried savories, or with stuffed breads like peas parathas.

Here it is, served over dahi vada…

…and here along with a larger meal: boiled foxtail millet with ghee, palak toor dal, bhindi bhujiya besanwali, pan-roasted spicy sweet potatoes, imli chutney:

The chutney has a long shelf life and can last for a couple of weeks when kept in the fridge.