Tamarind Date Chutney Sweet Indian Chutney Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, and garam masala; cook and stir for about 2 minutes to release the flavors.
• Stir the water into the pan with the spices along with the sugar and tamarind paste. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the mixture turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will be thin, but it will thicken upon cooling.

Steps:

• Place the jaggery, dates and water in a deep boiling pan for about 2 hours.
• After the dates become smooth, blend in a mixer till smooth.
• Strain and transfer to the pan again.
• Add the tamarind paste and seasoning.
• Boil till thick enough to coat the back of a spoon thinly.
• Cool again. Store in clean airtight bottles and refrigerate.
• Shelf life of about a month in the refrigerator.
• * Here, I have used tamarind paste. But in case you do not have tamarind, soak the tamarind in water and extract its paste.
• What I usually do is use dry tamarind powder which I get from Indian grocery stores.

Steps:

• Place the sugar, dates and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 7-8 minutes, until the dates are very soft.
• Stir in the tamarind.
• Very carefully, pour the ingredients into a blender, clamp the lid down tight and blend until smooth (or blend in the pot with an immersion/stick blender).
• Return the mixture to the pot and boil until thick enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon (the chutney will thicken more as it cools).
• Stir in the spices and salt.
• Taste for seasoning: the chutney should be equal parts sweet, salty and sour.
• Add more tamarind, sugar or salt if any of these needs a boost.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the tamarind and 1 cup of the water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Occasionally stir with a fork to break up the pulp. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep and further soften for 5 minutes, or until the tamarind solids have expanded. When you stir the mixture, the pulp should easily combine with the water.
• Position a coarse-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour in the tamarind mixture. Using a rubber spatula or metal spoon, vigorously stir and press the solids against the mesh to force as much of the pulp through as possible. If necessary, return the pulp to the saucepan, add some of the already-strained liquid, stir to loosen up more of the pulp, and then work it through the sieve again. When the pulp is spent, discard the fibrous left overs. The resulting liquid will resemble chocolate cake batter. You should have 2/3 to 3/4 cup.
• Combine the tamarind liquid, dates, the remaining 1/3 cup water, the brown sugar, salt, and cayenne in a food processor. Process to a smooth, thick texture. Occasionally pause the machine and scrape down the sides. The ideal texture is thick enough to mound on a spoon, but you can add extra water for a thinner sauce. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cumin for a pungent finish. Taste and adjust the flavors, as necessary, especially if you thinned the chutney. Set aside for a few hours for the flavors to blend and bloom. Serve, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for a month.

Steps:

• In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium until it glistens, about 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, fennel and red-pepper flakes, and sauté until aromatic and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
• Add the tamarind, jaggery, raisins, dates and fresh ginger, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching and to encourage the flavors to mingle.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chaat masala, ground ginger and kala namak. Transfer the chutney to a food processor or blender and blend on high speed until smooth, adding a little water if needed to create a thick but pourable consistency.
• Taste and season with kosher salt. The chutney will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.