Tamarind and dates chutney, also known as khajur imli ki chutney or khatti meethi chutney, is an Indian sweet and tangy condiment made with tamarind and dates. It is a perfect accompaniment and dip served with many Indian appetizers and street foods, such as samosas, chaat, and pakoras along with green chutney.
It is very easy to make this delicious tamarind date chutney or tamarind sauce at home in an electric pressure cooker like Instant Pot or on the stovetop. It is vegan, gluten-free, does not use processed sugar, and can be stored for a long in the refrigerator or freezer.
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Ingredients
To make this delicious tamarind dates chutney or sauce, you will need tamarind concentrate or paste. It is easily available in the Indian store. Using tamarind concentrate is very easy and convenient and you will not need a strainer to strain the chutney once it is ready.
Tamarind is very sour in taste and gives the chutney its tanginess. The tanginess is balanced by the sweetness of pitted dates and jaggery. You can use Medjool dates or other types of dates.
I have used Kolhapuri jaggery which comes in a bucket shape. It is available in Indian grocery stores. You can easily scrape it with a vegetable peeler or cut it into pieces with a knife. If you do not have jaggery, you can use cane sugar or brown sugar.
A little bit of salt, red chili powder, and roasted cumin powder adds spiciness and enhances the flavor of the chutney.
Instructions
This delicious tamarind chutney recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Instant Pot will require no monitoring and lesser water as well.
Add all the ingredients including jaggery, dates, tamarind paste, salt, and red chili powder to the Instant Pot liner. Give it a quick mix and then close and lock the lid.
Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 5 minutes with the pressure release valve in the sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally and then open the lid.
Using an immersion hand blender, blend the chutney into a smooth paste. If the chutney is thick, you can add some water and cook it on the saute mode for 5 minutes. If the chutney is runny, you can cook it in the saute mode for 5 minutes.
Finally, to enhance the flavor, add the roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well.
Tamarind dates chutney can be made on the stovetop as well. In a saucepan, add the tamarind concentrate, pitted dates, jaggery, red chili powder, and salt.
Let the mixture boil over medium heat, stirring it occasionally. Cook it for about 10-15 minutes until the dates have softened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the chutney cool down.
Once the chutney has cooled, blend it in a blender like Vitamix until it is smooth in texture. Add the roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well.
Substitutions
This is a vegan and gluten-free chutney without any processed sugar. You can make a few substitutions.
- Jaggery - instead of jaggery you can use cane sugar or brown sugar.
- Dates - Medjool or any other pitted dried dates will work well.
Variations
You can easily make variations to this chutney while cooking it.
- Spicy - add more or less of red chili powder to your taste.
- Tamarind - if you want to make only tamarind chutney, you can skip the dates and replace it with jaggery or brown sugar.
Equipment
This sweet tamarind chutney is made in the 3 qt. Instant Pot. You can also use the 6 qt. Instant Pot for the same quantity or to make a larger batch for storing.
It can easily be made on the stovetop in a saucepan. You will need a little more water as it will evaporate while cooking.
To blend the chutney I used the Cuisinart immersion hand blender. Vitamix or another standalone blender will work great as well.
Serving suggestions
If you are looking for chutney for samosas, this tamarind chutney is the best. It is served with Indian snacks and Indian chaats like sev puri, pani puri, and ragda patties.
Storage
Store the chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
You can also portion it and freeze it in freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags. When you plan to use it, you can keep it in the fridge overnight.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to eat tamarind and dates chutney with:
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📖 Recipe
Tamarind and Dates Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
For cooking
- ½ cup Tamarind concentrate
- ½ cup Jaggery (80 grams)
- ½ cup Dates (80 grams, pitted)
- ¾ cup Water (1 cup if making on the stovetop)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder (to taste)
To be added later
- ½ teaspoon Roasted cumin seed powder
Instructions
Make tamarind chutney in Instant Pot
- Put all the ingredients from the "for cooking" list into the Instant Pot liner.½ cup Tamarind concentrate, ½ cup Jaggery, ½ cup Dates, ¾ cup Water, 1 teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- Close and lock the lid with the pressure release valve in the sealing position.
- Cook on high-pressure mode for 5 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and blend the chutney with an immersion hand blender.
- Check if the chutney is of desired consistency. If it is too thick, add some water and cook on the saute mode for about 5 minutes. If it is too thin then cook on the saute mode until it thickens.
- Add the roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well.½ teaspoon Roasted cumin seed powder
- Transfer to a serving bowl and allow it to cool down.
Making tamarind dates chutney on the stove top
- Put all the ingredients from the "for cooking" list in a saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat for about 10-12 minutes or until the dates have softened.
- Turn off the heat.
- Blend the mixture with an immersion hand blender or in a blender like Vitamix to a smooth chutney.
- Check if the chutney is of desired consistency. If it is too thick, add some water and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. If it is too thin then cook on until it thickens to desired consistency.
- Add the roasted cumin seeds powder and mix well.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and allow it to cool down.
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Notes
- Heat some cumin seeds in a skillet on medium heat.
- Roast them until golden brown and have a nice aroma.
- Let it cool down.
- Blend it into a fine powder in a blender.
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