This tamarind or imli ki chutney is tangy, sweet, and spicy. It is refined-sugar-free, additive-free, freezer-friendly, and ideal for batch or meal prep. Plus, it is incredibly easy to make at home because, beyond boiling the tamarind, there’s no cooking involved!
Imli ki chutney is especially popular during Ramadan. In Pakistan and India, you’ll find it drizzled over street food like chana chaat, dahi baray, and aloo pakoray. It also makes for the perfect dipping sauce for grilled meats like my chicken seekh kebabs and hariyali chicken tikkas.
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A Quick Look at the Recipe
⏲️Ready In: 40 minutes
👪Yield: 2.5 cups.
🍽 Calories and Protein: 81 kcal, 1 g.
📋 Main Ingredients: Tamarind, coconut sugar, spices.
📖 Dietary Notes: refined-sugar-free.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It:
- Refined sugar-free. Instead of table sugar, you can sweeten imli ki chutney with jaggery, dates, or coconut sugar.
- Gluten-free. Tamarind is naturally gluten-free, but my recipe doesn't include asafoetida (hing), unlike many recipes.
- 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; you don’t cook the tamarind paste with the spices!
- Make once, eat for weeks. 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!
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“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” Kat
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- What is Tamarind (Imli Chutney)?
- What Does Tamarind Chutney Taste Like?
- Ingredient Notes for Tamarind Chutney
- Variations
- Watch: Imli Ki Chutney In My Ramadan Prep
- How to Make Tamarind Chutney (Step-by-Step)
- Pro Tips
- Homemade Vs. Store-Bought Tamarind Chutney
- Tamarind Chutney FAQs
- Recipes That Use Tamarind Chutney
- More Condiments to Try
- Imli Ki Chutney
What is Tamarind (Imli Chutney)?
Tamarind chutney, or imli ki chutney in Urdu, is a sauce made with tamarind pulp, sugar, and spices. It is an extremely popular condiment in South Asian cuisine, adding a sweet, tangy flavor to savory snacks.
As you can imagine, it has multiple iterations as well. Every region has its own version. You’ll often see it sweetened with gur or jaggery, dates, and, of course, regular refined sugar.
When I set about making a healthier imli ki chutney, I swapped regular refined sugar for coconut sugar, which is widely available in the U.S. I have also tested this recipe with gur (jaggery) and dates, and both work well in place of coconut sugar.
I also kept the spices minimal. You won’t find hing (asafetida) or kala namak (black salt) in this easy tamarind chutney.
What Does Tamarind Chutney Taste Like?
Tamarind chutney has a tart, sweet, and spicy flavor profile. The tamarind’s tartness is balanced by the coconut sugar’s sweetness, and the spice adds depth and smokiness.
The texture is smooth, and you can adjust the consistency to your preference. It is thick like ketchup for dipping grilled meats, but you can thin it to drizzle over chaats.
Ingredient Notes for Tamarind Chutney
Tamarind: I like Thai tamarind. It is available as seedless blocks and is less fibrous and of higher quality. You can use the seeded tamarind if you can’t find the seedless variety.
Coconut Sugar: This tamarind chutney is refined-sugar-free because I use coconut sugar. It has a lower glycemic index of 35 than regular table sugar (65), so it raises blood sugar slower.
Coconut sugar is widely available in stores and online, but if you can’t find it, try either jaggery or dates as a replacement.
Variations
- Add Gur (jaggery). Use an equal amount of powdered jaggery instead of coconut sugar.
- Add Dates. I’ve tried making this recipe with Medjool dates, but you can use any other dates you have on hand. If using Medjool dates, add 5 pitted dates at the beginning, along with the tamarind block and water.
- Fancy it up: add chopped onion, green chili, and cilantro before serving. This is how my mother served it at Iftar parties.
Watch: Imli Ki Chutney In My Ramadan Prep
How to Make Tamarind Chutney (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Boil about 4 cups of water. Add the tamarind block to the boiling water in a deep saucepan.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil on medium heat. About 20 minutes, breaking the block apart as it cooks.
Step 2: Once done, let the pulp cool for about 20 minutes so it can be handled.
Step 3: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Add the pulp a little at a time, then strain, pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon and releasing the juice into the bowl. Repeat until the pulp is finished. Dispose of the squeezed pulp in between.
Step 4: Season with red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Mix until well incorporated, then taste and adjust the spice and salt levels as needed.
Step 5: Store in an airtight container or freeze in zip-top bags.
Pro Tips
- When adding water, start with 4 cups, then add more once the block is done boiling. Depending on the tamarind brand (some are pulpier and need more water to thin the pulp) and the consistency you prefer, you may need to add up to 3 cups more.
- You can cut the time by soaking the tamarind in pre-boiled water (in an electric kettle).
Homemade Vs. Store-Bought Tamarind Chutney
Homemade tamarind chutney is better than store-bought because it is fresher, healthier, and free of preservatives, additives, and stabilizers. Making it at home helps you control the amount and type of sugar and the spice level.
Tamarind Chutney FAQs
Imli chutney can last 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Store tamarind chutney in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight jar.
You can freeze tamarind chutney for up to 6 months. You can use an ice cube tray to freeze individual servings and defrost as many cubes as you need on the countertop. I sometimes freeze it in silicone trays and defrost 2-3 cubes at a time, which is a sufficient portion for my family.
While imli (tamarind) is naturally gluten-free, some recipes include hing (Asafetida), which is often blended with wheat during commercial processing. To avoid gluten in store-bought tamarind chutney, look for the gluten-free label.
It is used as a condiment to drizzle over chaats and dahi baray and as a dipping sauce for samosas, pakoras, kebabs, and tikkas.
Recipes That Use Tamarind Chutney
In addition to the recipes mentioned above, tamarind chutney also pairs well with my healthy baked pakoras, my mango chaat, beef seekh kebabs, and tandoori chicken.
If you tried this Tamarind Chutney or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Pinterest or subscribe. to our newsletter.
Imli Ki Chutney
Equipment
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 sieve/strainer
Ingredients
- 1 seedless tamarind block available in 14 oz. packet
- 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 so that you can handle it. Place your sieve over a bowl and add the pulp a little at a time, straining it, pressing down, and squeezing the juice so that only the fiber remains. At this point, you can add up to 2-3 cups more 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 until well combined, then taste and adjust the spices and salt as needed.
- Pour into an airtight bottle and consume within a week or freeze for later.
Video
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 of the pulp. Keep 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!