Tamarind Chutney Recipe (Imli Chutney)
Tamarind Chutney (Imli Ki Chutney, Sonth) is a sweet and sour Indian sauce made using tamarind, jaggery, and a few spices. Serve it with chaat recipes or snacks like samosa, pakoda, dhokla, etc.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 150 grams seedless tamarind (imli)
- 3 cups hot water divided
- 250 grams crushed jaggery (gud) or jaggery powder
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger or 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse fennel seeds powder (saunf powder)
- ½ teaspoon asafetida (hing) skip for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
- ½ teaspoon regular salt
- ¼ cup raisins (kishmish)
Instructions
Make Tamarind Pulp
- Soak tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes.
- Mash it well using your hands.
- Keep a mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the tamarind concentrate through it.
- Add 1 cup of hot water over the leftover pulp and strain it again. Keep pressing it with the back of a large spoon to get the maximum pulp.
- Discard the leftover tamarind pulp in the strainer.
If using a readymade tamarind pulp, skip this process and use 1 cup of tamarind pulp mixed with 1 cup of water.
Cook The Chutney
- Transfer the tamarind water to a medium size pan.
- Add jaggery, ginger, cumin powder, chili powder, fennel powder, asafoetida, black salt, and, regular salt to the pan and mix well.
- Cook the mixture on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add raisins and cook the chutney for another 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and bring the chutney to room temperature.
- Transfer it to a glass container and store it in the refrigerator. Use as desired!
The perfectly cooked chutney should look glossy and be thick but pourable. To check, dip a spoon into the chutney and lift it up. If the chutney coats the back of the spoon and falls off slowly in a thick ribbon, it is thick enough. It should not run off like water or separate into a thin liquid.If the chutney has thickened too much, add some water and bring it back to a boil. If it is watery, cook for a little longer. Keep in mind that the chutney will slightly thicken once cooled.Before storing, taste the chutney and fine-tune the balance: add a little sugar or jaggery if it’s too sour, a splash of tamarind water or lemon if it’s too sweet, and a pinch of chili, salt, or ginger for more warmth and depth. Simmer briefly after adjusting so the flavors blend, and remember it often tastes a little milder once cooled.
Video
Notes
I get approx 2 cups of chutney using this recipe. You can easily double or triple the recipe if you want to make it for a crowd.
Add some boiled water to the chutney if it has thickened after refrigerating.
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
