This tamarind/Imli chutney is spicy, tangy and sweet. It is refined sugar free and perfect to batch or meal prep. Plus it freezes well too!
Table of Contents
- What is Tamarind/Imli Chutney?
- Why You’ll Love This Chutney
- The ingredients
- How to make imli ki chutney
- Tips & variations
- How to store imli ki chutney
- What to eat with tamarind chutney
- Here are more chutney/sauce recipes I’m sure you’ll love:
What is Tamarind/Imli Chutney?
Tamarind chutney, or imli chutney as it is called in Urdu, is a sauce made with tamarind, sugar, and spices. It is a favorite pairing with pakoras/fritters during Ramadan. It is also the condiment of choice on Chana Chaats, Dahi Baray, Pakoray, and other savory South Asian snacks.
Why You’ll Love This Chutney
- Refined sugar-free. Instead of table sugar, imli ki chutney can be sweetened with jaggery, dates, or coconut sugar.
- Gluten-free. Tamarind is naturally gluten-free, but my recipe doesn’t include asafoetida (hing), unlike many recipes out there, which do.
- No extensive cooking required. I’ve seen many recipes online that call for cooking the chutney with the spices. This recipe only needs about 15-20 minutes of boiling time, but that’s it!
- Make once, eat way into the future! This recipe is a batch-prep recipe, and although it can take longer than some others, it freezes so well that it truly makes sense to make a big batch!
The ingredients
Tamarind: I get the seedless block variety from the Indian store. Make sure it is seedless, as the seeded array tends to be more fibrous and can take much longer to deseed and juice.
Spices: I tend to keep it very simple because, well, that’s how I grew up eating it: just red chili powder, salt, and cumin powder. Chaat masala is optional.
Sweetener: I have used both coconut sugar and jaggery (gur) with great success.
Water: 4 cups to begin with, and more depending on the tamarind brand (some are pulpier and need more water to thin) and the consistency you prefer.
How to make imli ki chutney
Boil: The very first step in making this imli ki chutney is to boil the block of seedless tamarind in water. You can cut the time by soaking the tamarind in pre-boiled water (in an electric kettle). In a deep saucepan, place the tamarind block and add water. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil, about 15-20 minutes. Break up the tamarind block once the water has come to a boil, and slightly mash the tamarind with the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain: Once boiled, strain the pulp through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the pulp, then continue seasoning the tamarind juice. You can thin it out some more or leave it be. I prefer mine thicker 🙂
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Season: I keep the seasoning simple with salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coconut sugar or gur (jaggery). Dates and date sugar can also be used to sweeten this chutney.
You can optionally add chaat masala, and some people add garam masala and ginger powder as well.
Tips & variations
- I love making my own and freezing some in an ice cube tray as part of my Ramadan meal prep. That way, I have homemade imli chutney ready and available whenever I need it.
- Fancy up the chutney by adding chopped onion, green chili, and cilantro before serving. This is how my mother served it at Iftar parties.
- Sweeten the chutney with dates instead of jaggery or coconut sugar. Add deseeded and chopped dates when boiling the tamarind block.
How to store imli ki chutney
Refrigerate. Imli chutney can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight jar.
Freeze. The chutney can be frozen for up to 6 months. Use an ice cube tray to freeze individual servings and defrost on the countertop. I freeze in King Cube silicon trays (affiliate link) and defrost 2-3 cubes depending on how much I need.
What to eat with tamarind chutney
- Imli ki chutney is a key ingredient in Channa Chaat, Pakoras, and other savory Pakistani/Indian snacks.
- You can serve it alongside Seekh Kababs, Chicken Skewers, Lamb Chops, and other grilled foods, too.
Here are more chutney/sauce recipes I’m sure you’ll love:
Spicy Cashew Dressing (Trader Joe’s Copy Cat)
If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. If you are on social media, share your pics with me on Instagram by tagging me @eatdrinkpure so I can see and repost it on my stories!
Imli Ki Chutney
Equipment
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 sieve/strainer
Ingredients
- 1 17 ounce packet seedless tamarind block
- 2 teaspoons red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar/jaggery
- 4-7 cups water *see note
Instructions
- Boil about 4 cups of water. Dredge the tamarind block in the boiled water in a deep sauce pan or pot.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil on medium heat. About 20 minutes breaking the block apart as it cooks.
- Once done, let the pulp cool some so that it can be handled. Place your sieve over a bowl and add the pulp a little at a time and strain it, pressing down and squeezing the juice so only the fiber remains. At this point you can add up to 2-3 cups more to the pulp depending on your brand of tamarind. See note below.
- You will get about 2 cups of juice. You can add 1/2 cup of additional water depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Finally season with red chili powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix till well incorporated and taste and adjust spice and salt level as needed.
- Pour into an airtight bottle and consume within a week or freeze for later.
Notes
- Add more water as needed. Tamarind blocks from different brands have varying levels of fiber so start with 4 cups of water and then add a cup at a time to facilitate the sieving through of the pulp. Keeping in mind your desired consistency.
Kat says
This chutney is exactly what I was looking for! I am trying my best to avoid random additives in food and was seriously craving chana chaat. I thought I would have to wait to call one of my aunties to make it for me, but this was so easy! And it makes so much (: I am set for a few months xx
Zeeshan says
Yay!! That’s awesome! Healthyish and easy is what EDP is all about!