I finally mastered an imli chutney that belongs in every kitchen, and as someone who loves Easy Chutney Recipes I had to share this pantry-friendly shortcut.

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I never believed a single spoonful could flip an entire snack into something electric, but tamarind chutney did that for me. It’s sweet, sour and a little naughty, the kind of thing that makes you go back for more.

I like using strained tamarind pulp and jaggery for a deep sticky sweetness. I wrote this after messing around with dozens of versions, and honestly this is my go to, my Best Chutney Recipe for chaats and fried snacks.

It’s stupidly easy but tastes like something from a street stall, try a bit on crispy samosas and watch people argue over the last drop.

Ingredients

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Tamarind pulp, tangy and sour, adds vitamin C and fiber, mostly carbs and flavor
Jaggery, deep sweet molasses like, provides iron and minerals, complex sugars not empty calories
Medjool dates, optional, boost sweet richness, fiber and potassium, natural sweetener and texture
Roasted cumin powder, earthy warm aroma, aids digestion, low calorie spice that lifts chutney
Dry ginger powder or fresh, gives warmth, helps digestion and reduces flatulence, little calories
Black salt, pungent sulphur note, adds saline tang and that chaaty umami, use sparingly
Asafoetida, optional, tiny pinch gives onion garlic like depth and aids digestion

Ingredient Quantities

100 g tamarind pulp (about 1 cup strained tamarind)

2 cups water

1 cup jaggery, grated or chopped (or 3/4 cup brown sugar if you cant find jaggery)

2 Medjool dates, pitted (optional for richer sweetness)

1 tsp roasted cumin powder, freshly ground

1 tsp dry ginger powder (saunth) or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp red chili powder or 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for mild color

1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak)

1/2 tsp regular salt

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing), optional

1/2 tsp chaat masala, optional

How to Make this

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1. Put 100 g tamarind pulp in a bowl with 2 cups warm water, break it up with your hands and let it soak 20–30 minutes; add the 2 pitted Medjool dates now if using, they soften and sweeten nicely.

2. Transfer the soaked tamarind and water to a small saucepan, crush with a spoon and simmer on low 5–8 minutes to extract flavour, watch it so it doesn’t stick.

3. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve or strainer, press with the back of a spoon to extract every bit, discard fibres; for extra smooth chutney strain a second time.

4. Return the strained tamarind liquid to the pan, add 1 cup grated jaggery (or 3/4 cup brown sugar) and the softened dates, stir on low until jaggery fully dissolves.

5. Add the spices: 1 tsp freshly ground roasted cumin powder, 1 tsp dry ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger), 1/2 tsp red chili powder (or 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli), 1/2 tsp black salt, 1/2 tsp regular salt and 1/4 tsp asafoetida if using.

6. Simmer gently 8–12 minutes until the chutney coats the back of a spoon, remember it will thicken more as it cools so dont over-reduce.

7. Taste and adjust: add a little more jaggery or brown sugar if too tart, more black salt or regular salt if bland, and 1/2 tsp chaat masala at the end if you like that tangy kick.

8. If you used whole dates and want a perfectly smooth finish, blitz the chutney briefly in a blender and strain once more; otherwise leave it slightly textured, it’s nice that way.

9. Cool completely, transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate; chutney keeps 1–2 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Large bowl for soaking the tamarind and softening the dates, big enough for 2 cups water
2. Small heavy bottom saucepan to simmer and extract the tamarind flavour
3. Sturdy wooden or metal spoon for breaking up the pulp, crushing in the pan and stirring
4. Fine mesh sieve or strainer plus a spoon or spatula to press out every bit of liquid
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for tamarind, water, jaggery and spices
6. Grater or microplane for fresh ginger or to shave jaggery if needed
7. Blender or immersion blender for a perfectly smooth finish, optional but handy
8. Clean jar or airtight container for storing the chutney and a silicone spatula or ladle to transfer it into the jar

FAQ

Q: Can I use store bought tamarind paste instead of the 100 g tamarind pulp?
A: Yes. Start with about 2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in 1/2 to 1 cup water, taste and add more if needed. Store bought paste is stronger so go slowly and adjust jaggery and water to get the balance you like.

Q: How do I get a smooth, seedless chutney fast?
A: Soak and mash the pulp, push it through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon, then simmer the strained liquid with jaggery and spices until slightly thick. If you want extra smoothness, blitz quickly in a blender then strain again.

Q: My chutney is too runny or too thick, how do I fix it?
A: Too runny: simmer longer to reduce, or add a little more jaggery or dates and cook till it thickens. Too thick: stir in warm water a tablespoon at a time until you get the texture you want.

Q: Can I substitute jaggery and what about the dates?
A: Brown sugar works fine at about 3/4 cup for this recipe, but jaggery gives a deeper caramel flavor. Dates are optional and just add richness and natural sweetness; use them if you like a rounder taste.

Q: How long will the chutney keep and can I freeze it?
A: In a clean jar in the fridge it keeps 2 to 3 weeks. You can freeze in ice cube trays for 2 to 3 months, then pop out cubes for single-serve use.

Q: What do black salt and asafoetida do, can I skip them?
A: Black salt adds that tangy, sulfur note common in chaat, and hing gives a savory depth. Both are optional. Regular salt works fine if you skip them, but the flavor will be a little different.

Tamarind Chutney Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Tamarind pulp: if you only have tamarind paste use 2 tablespoons paste mixed into 1/2 cup warm water, stir and taste then add more if needed. As a last resort 2 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp brown sugar gives the sweet‑sour idea though the flavor will differ.
Jaggery: swap for 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar or 1/3 cup molasses or maple syrup. If you use a liquid sweetener add it near the end and reduce the water a little, it’s sweeter so taste as you go.
Roasted cumin powder: dry roast 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds for 30 to 60 seconds then grind to make about 1 teaspoon powder, or use 3/4 to 1 teaspoon regular ground cumin toasted briefly in a pan.
Black salt (kala namak): if you dont have it use 1/2 teaspoon regular sea or kosher salt plus 1/4 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) or a squeeze of lemon for tang, the exact sulfur note will be missing but the chutney will still sing.

Pro Tips

– Soak the tamarind longer than you think and really press it through the sieve, even rub the pulp between your fingers while straining to get every bit of flavor out. If you want it silky smooth strain it twice or run it through a fine mesh cloth, it’ll be worth the extra 2 minutes.

– Use jaggery if you can, it gives a deep caramel note that brown sugar can’t fully copy. If you only have brown sugar add a couple chopped dates or a spoon of molasses to give the same rounded sweetness, and always add sweetener little by little and taste as you go.

– Cook on the lowest heat and watch it, it sticks fast if it’s unattended. Keep in mind it firms up as it cools so stop when it just coats the back of a spoon, not when it’s syrup thick; if it gets too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of warm water and heat briefly to loosen it.

– Freshly roast and grind the cumin, and add black salt near the end then taste, those tiny changes make the chutney sing. Cool completely before jarring, use a clean jar, and freeze portions in an ice cube tray for quick single use later.

Tamarind Chutney Recipe

Recipe by Bob Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally mastered an imli chutney that belongs in every kitchen, and as someone who loves Easy Chutney Recipes I had to share this pantry-friendly shortcut.

Servings

servings

Calories

144

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large bowl for soaking the tamarind and softening the dates, big enough for 2 cups water
2. Small heavy bottom saucepan to simmer and extract the tamarind flavour
3. Sturdy wooden or metal spoon for breaking up the pulp, crushing in the pan and stirring
4. Fine mesh sieve or strainer plus a spoon or spatula to press out every bit of liquid
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for tamarind, water, jaggery and spices
6. Grater or microplane for fresh ginger or to shave jaggery if needed
7. Blender or immersion blender for a perfectly smooth finish, optional but handy
8. Clean jar or airtight container for storing the chutney and a silicone spatula or ladle to transfer it into the jar

Ingredients

100 g tamarind pulp (about 1 cup strained tamarind)
2 cups water
1 cup jaggery, grated or chopped (or 3/4 cup brown sugar if you cant find jaggery)
2 Medjool dates, pitted (optional for richer sweetness)
1 tsp roasted cumin powder, freshly ground
1 tsp dry ginger powder (saunth) or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp red chili powder or 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for mild color
1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak)
1/2 tsp regular salt
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing), optional
1/2 tsp chaat masala, optional

Directions

Put 100 g tamarind pulp in a bowl with 2 cups warm water, break it up with your hands and let it soak 20–30 minutes; add the 2 pitted Medjool dates now if using, they soften and sweeten nicely.
Transfer the soaked tamarind and water to a small saucepan, crush with a spoon and simmer on low 5–8 minutes to extract flavour, watch it so it doesn't stick.
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve or strainer, press with the back of a spoon to extract every bit, discard fibres; for extra smooth chutney strain a second time.
Return the strained tamarind liquid to the pan, add 1 cup grated jaggery (or 3/4 cup brown sugar) and the softened dates, stir on low until jaggery fully dissolves.
Add the spices: 1 tsp freshly ground roasted cumin powder, 1 tsp dry ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger), 1/2 tsp red chili powder (or 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli), 1/2 tsp black salt, 1/2 tsp regular salt and 1/4 tsp asafoetida if using.
Simmer gently 8–12 minutes until the chutney coats the back of a spoon, remember it will thicken more as it cools so dont over-reduce.
Taste and adjust: add a little more jaggery or brown sugar if too tart, more black salt or regular salt if bland, and 1/2 tsp chaat masala at the end if you like that tangy kick.
If you used whole dates and want a perfectly smooth finish, blitz the chutney briefly in a blender and strain once more; otherwise leave it slightly textured, it's nice that way.
Cool completely, transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate; chutney keeps 1–2 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen for longer.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.