Tamarind Chutney – sweetness with tang

Recipe courtesy: Mamma

Tamarind chutney is one of the most common chutneys prepared in almost every North Indian household. Well, every home with a chatori (a girl who loves chat) in it! It is quick to prepare and delicious to eat. Traditionally this chutney is prepared with Jaggery (raw cane sugar) which is considered to be a healthy substitute for the granulated sugar. Tamarind chutney is used in many dishes but my favorites are Alu Tikiya ki Chaat, Samosa and Dahi Bara (fried lentil fritters in yogurt and spices). I learnt this recipe recently from my mom for a get together party at our home and needless to say I loved it. This is definitely a better and cheaper alternative to the ready made chutneys I usually use. The preparation is pretty straight forward, boil the Tamarind and Jaggery together on low heat and the chutney will be ready in no time. Normally this chutney is spiced with some salt, red pepper flakes and ginger powder (also known as Saunth), however, since I was already adding a lot of spices in the masala (see Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki article) I decided not to add anything more in this chutney. However, it is totally up to you and if you do decide to add the seasoning, here is a tip: my mom said that the seasoning should be added right before you are going to consume the chutney otherwise it will change the overall flavor.

Since I didn’t have any Jaggery, I decided to go with Brown Sugar which I must admit turned out pretty good. The texture of this chutney is thick which makes it easier to store and use. I filled it up in a plastic ketchup dispenser which you can easily find at most grocery stores and I must say using a dispenser makes all the difference. They are very easy to use and quite efficient to pour chutney into a Phulki or on Chaat. This chutney is a delicious combination of the tangy tamarind and sweet brown sugar and as long as you are not adding any seasoning in it, it should be good for several days in any airtight container.

Now where to buy the Tamarind? Well, you can easily get a packet of Tamarind from your local Indian store. A typical pack will look like this:

As you can see, Tamarind pack will have seeds which we will discard after making the pulp. Now let’s move on to the process of making this lip-smacking tangy and sweet chutney.

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - 1 cup 
• Brown Sugar – 1 cup

Let’s do some preparations first:

• Cut the Tamarind with a sharp knife and put it in a bowl. Cover it with water. In India we normally wash the Tamarind before this step. However, since here it is available in packets, I usually skip this step.
• Soak the Tamarind in water for at least 4 - 5 hours or overnight.

Directions to prepare the chutney:

• Transfer the Tamarind into a skillet or wok along with the water and let it cook over low heat. 
• After about 5 minutes add the Brown Sugar into it. Stir to mix.
• After 15-20 minutes, you will see the mixture getting thick. This means the chutney is now ready. Remove it from heat and allow it to cool down a bit.
• After 5-10 minutes, strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer (use a spatula) and you got your tangy-sweet pulp. Chutney is ready!

Before serving:

• Add a little Salt, Red Pepper Flakes and a little Ginger Powder in this chutney and enjoy with delicious Samosas, Pakoras or Phulki and Tikiya.

Tips:

• If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water in it. The consistency of the chutney depends on your preference. 
• Tamarind and Sugar should be used in equal amounts. Keep this in mind if you want to make more or less amount of chutney.

Recommended Reading:

• How to make Tamarind Pulp?
• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki
• Alu Tikiya ki Chaat (Crispy Fried Potato Patties with Dried Peas, Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• My Cheap and Delicious Cheese Plate
• Alu Cutlet (Crispy Shallow Fried Potato Patties)
• Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Mayo Mustard Sauce with Herbs
• Fresh Homemade Salsa