Imli ki Chutney (Tamarind Sauce) is an Indian and Pakistani chutney that’s served with street food snacks such as chana chaat, aloo chaat and aloo pakora.
I absolutely love imli chutney. It’s tangy, sweet and sour. Dip anything into it, and it’ll become super delicious. Seriously…try it with this mixed vegetable pakora recipe if you don’t believe me. Or you could top these Aloo Tikkis with it and enjoy a lovely evening tea at home.
What You Need
- Imli or Tamarind (obviously!)
- A handful of spices
- Jaggery
That’s all! Doesn’t it sound easy? It really is easy.
How to Make It
Make the Imli Water
Start with making the imli water. This is easy. You just have to soak seedless tamarind in warm water for a couple of hours. Then using a colander squeeze out the pulp. That’s going to be the base of our sauce.
Cooking the Imli Chutney
Basically you add all the ingredients and cook on medium high heat until the imli chutney has thickened. It’s really, really easy. For the detailed recipe, scroll down to the recipe card!
Substitute for Jaggery
If you don’t have jaggery at home, you can simply use regular granulated white sugar. I think brown sugar should be okay too, but I personally haven’t used it myself.
Storage
The good thing about this recipe is that it can be stored for upto 1 month in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze it. Just place it in a freezer safe container and freeze it for up to 6 months. When ready to use, thaw for a few hours at room temperature and use as desired.
Serving Suggestions
More Chutney and Raita Recipes
Coriander and Mint Raita Recipe
Imli Chutney (Tamarind Sauce)
Ingredients
- 200 grams seedless tamarind imli
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds
- 1//4 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder saunth
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 cup jaggery
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Making the Imli Water
- Soak the imli in warm water for 2 to 3 hours. Once it has softened, strain it and squeeze out all the imli pulp. This is the base of our imli chutney.
Making the Imli Chutney
- In a medium sized saucepan, add imli water, roasted cumin seeds, red chilli powder, ginger powder and red chilli flakes. Also add in the jaggery.
- Mix well and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the imli chutney begins to thicken.
- Now add the granulated sugar and cook for another 2 minutes or so.
- The imli chutney will still be of thin consistency, it will thicken upon cooling.
- Store cooled imli chutney in an airtight jar upto 1 month in the fridge. It can also be frozen up to 6 months in the freezer in a freezer safe container.
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