Imli Chutney
Imli chutney is a sweet and tangy blend of tamarind and dates, perfect for adding a burst of flavour to your chaats.
Ingredients
- 100 g Tamarind
- 100 g Dates de seeded
- 100 g Jaggery
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 4-5 Black peppercorns
- 2 tsp Cooking oil
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
- ½ tsp Asafoetida powder
- ½ tsp Dry Ginger Powder
- ½ tsp Black Salt
- ½ tsp Table Salt
Instructions
Cooking the dates and tamarind
- De seed the dates and the tamarind. Measure out equal quantities of dates, tamarind and jaggery. For this recipe, I've used 100g of each.
- Add them all to a small pressure cooker along with a cup of water. Close the lid and allow 2 whistles to pass. Lower the flame and let it simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Let the pressure in the cooker release naturally.
Getting the spices ready
- Place a pan on low- medium heat. Add the fennel seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns. Roast them in a low flame until they become aromatic. This should take roughly two minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the spices to cool down.
- Once they are cool, add them to a mortar and grind them into a fine powder. You could also grind with the help of a spice grinder. Your imli chutney powder is ready.
Bringing it all together
- Once the dates-tamarind mixture has cooled, add them to a mixer jar along with the water. Grind them into a smooth paste.
- Pour the mixture through a sieve and remove any strands of fibre that might be left after grinding. This is an important step, since it will give you a smooth texture of imli chutney.
- Place a saucepan on a medium flame and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Lower the flame, and add in the red chilli powder and asafoetida powder. Roast the spice powders on a low flame.
- Now, add the dates-tamarind puree and mix it all well. Add the black salt and table salt. Once the mixture comes to a slow boil, turn off the heat and add the dry ginger powder. Allow the imli chutney to cool down.
- Transfer the Tamarind chutney to a clean glass bottle and use it for up to 3 months.