Tamarind Chutney

Name: Tamarind Chutney
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: Tamarind paste — 80 g (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp); Jaggery or brown sugar — 100 g (1/2 cup); Water — 250 ml (1 cup); Ground cumin, roasted — 5 g (1.5 tsp); Ground ginger — 3 g (1 tsp); Red chile powder — 2 g (1/2 tsp); Black salt (kala namak) — 3 g (1/2 tsp)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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10 min

Prep

30 min

Cook

Ingredients

Tamarind paste — 80 g (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
Jaggery or brown sugar — 100 g (1/2 cup)
Water — 250 ml (1 cup)
Ground cumin, roasted — 5 g (1.5 tsp)
Ground ginger — 3 g (1 tsp)
Red chile powder — 2 g (1/2 tsp)
Black salt (kala namak) — 3 g (1/2 tsp)

Method

Combine tamarind paste and water in a saucepan; simmer 10 minutes, mashing to dissolve.
Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract liquid; discard fibrous solids.
Return strained liquid to the pan; add jaggery, roasted cumin, ginger, chile powder and black salt.
Simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a syrupy consistency.
Cool before serving; the chutney thickens further as it cools.

Cultural Background: A sweet-tangy chutney built on tamarind pulp, jaggery and warm spices, tamarind chutney is a staple across Indian street food, essential to chaats like pani puri and samosas, its deep sweet-sour flavour balancing spicier accompaniments.

Tips: • Roasting the cumin before adding deepens its aroma significantly. • Black salt (kala namak) gives a distinctive tangy, slightly sulfurous note essential to authentic chaat flavours.

Variations: • Add dates alongside tamarind for extra natural sweetness and body. • Adjust chile powder for a spicier version.

Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 1 month.

Reheating: Not applicable; served cold or at room temperature. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 30 kcal, 0.2 g protein, 0 g fat, 8 g carbohydrate per 15 g serving. FAQs What is tamarind chutney traditionally served with? Samosas, pani puri, bhel puri, and countless other Indian street food snacks. What is black salt? A pungent, mineral-rich Indian salt with a distinctive sulfurous aroma, essential to authentic chaat and chutney flavours.

FAQs: What is tamarind chutney traditionally served with? Samosas, pani puri, bhel puri, and countless other Indian street food snacks. What is black salt? A pungent, mineral-rich Indian salt with a distinctive sulfurous aroma, essential to authentic chaat and chutney flavours.