Imli khajur chutney also known as date tamarind sauce is a thick sweet, sour, and tangy condiment that is used for chaats or as an excellent dipping sauce.
Tamarind and its alternatives for this chutney
Imli (Hindi) and Puli (Tamil) are names for tamarind which is the sour star responsible for tangy flavor of this chutney. Tamarind comes in many forms from seedless, to dried pulp blocks, to concentrates which you can learn more about in this blog post.
I did a side by side comparison of imli chutney with tamarind pulp vs. tamarind concentrate while writing this recipe. I prefer buying and tamarind pulp over the concentrate because it leads to a more nuanced sour and tangy notes that the concentrate can't achieve. However, if you can't source the pulp but can use the concentrate please do so. The resulting chutney will be slightly on the sweeter end of the spectrum but will still be delicious.
These days, you can buy tamarind pulp or tamarind concentrate quite easily online at these links. If you are having trouble sourcing tamarind products, you can use lime juice as an alternative. Keep in mind that there are different ratios when substituting tamarind pulp vs. concentrate vs. lime/lemon juice. You can checkout this blog post which goes into the details on how to substitute and use these different souring agents in Indian cooking.
The essential step that will make tamarind chutney so easy to make
Filtering tamarind pulp by itself is so crucial in making tamarind date chutney. While recipe developing, I've tried blending both the tamarind and dates together as well as filtering the chutney once it is reduced. Both these methods are quite cumbersome and result in a less flavorful chutney compared to filtering the tamarind pulp by itself.
Tamarind pulp blocks often contain seeds that when blended can create a bitter taste to the final khajur imli chutney. Tamarind pulp even if seedless has tough fibers and impurities that when tangled with thick dates can be tedious and require an arm workout to filter. This method also results in more of the sweet date flesh being filtered out along with the tamarind fibers and wasted. This is why it is easiest to extract the tamarind flavor thus creating a tamarind water before blending it with the remaining ingredients.
Using jaggery for this chutney
Jaggery also known as gur (Hindi) or vellam (Tamil) is the unrefined cane sugar. Jaggery adds a deep molasses flavor to the imli khajur chutney that makes it sweet and complex. You can easily find jaggery powder at your local Indian grocery store or online. If you are looking to learn more about jaggery and its substitutes you can checkout this blog post all about jaggery.
Buy Now → Tamarind date chutney uses
Tamarind Date chutney is a thick, saucy, and smooth chutney that is so versatile. Here are some ways that you can use it:
- Dip for samosas, keema cutlets, pakoras, or any fried food!
- Key ingredient for chaats like kale chaat, bhel puri, papdi chaat, or chaat nachos.
- Great marinade for meats. I like to think of imli khajur chutney as an Indian barbecue sauce. It is great to rub on grilled meats in the summer!
- Spread on sandwiches
How long does chutney keep?
This tamarind date chutney lasts for 1-2 months in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer for 6+ months and thawed for later use. The shelf life of tamarind lasts longer if a higher amount of sugar is used and it is reduced to a thicker consistency thereby eliminating excess water.
Where can I buy tamarind date chutney?
Sometimes you want tamarind date chutney but don't have the energy to make it. I've been there, done that. If I'm in a pinch I like to buy this. Another chutney that is reminiscent of the tamarind date chutney is Brooklyn Delhi's Spicy Mango Chutney which has the same sweet, sour, and spicy elements. You can checkout or buy their chutney here.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily buy imli khajur chutney at your local Indian store or online.
The key to quickly making tamarind date chutney is to filter the tamarind before adding it with the remaining ingredients. Moving the filtering process before the sauce is thick makes the filtering process less cumbersome.
Raisins are great substitutes for dates in this recipe! You can alternatively leave the dates out and use jaggery or brown sugar to supplement the sweetness.
You can substitute palm sugar, moscavado sugar, or brown sugar for jaggery.
Yes, you can use tamarind concentrate instead of tamarind. Use 1 1 teaspoon of tamarind water for every 10g of dried tamarind pulp. You can checkout this blog post for more substitutes for tamarind.
This chutney is super versatile and can be used as a dipping sauce for samosas, pakoras, or keema cutlets. In addition, it is one of the three staple sauces for Indian chaat and can be used for dishes like bhel puri, papdi chaat, crispy kale chaat, or chaat nachos.
This tamarind date chutney lasts for 1-2 months in the fridge or can be stored in the freezer for 6+ months and thawed for later use. The shelf life of tamarind lasts longer if a higher amount of sugar is used and it is reduced to a thicker consistency thereby eliminating excess water.
Imli Khajur Chutney (Tamarind Date Sauce)
Product Reccs
Ingredients
- 6 medjool dates pitted
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed powder ground from fennel seeds
- 1 ½ cups water
- 30 grams tamarind pulp found in a large dried block
- 2 tablespoons jaggery powder
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoons ground ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Remove the seeds from the center and tough end from the 6 medjool dates.
- Grind enough fennel seeds in either a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to yield ½ teaspoon fennel seed powder
Main Steps
- Heat 1 ½ cups water until it comes to a simmer.
- Take two large bowls. Add pitted dates to one bowl and add 30 grams tamarind pulp to the other bowl. Pour roughly half of the water in each bowl and allow dates and tamarind to soak and soften in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the water in the tamarind bowl is cool enough to touch, squeeze the tamarind pulp in between your fingers until the tamarind water turns brown. The pulp will break down as you squeeze it. Using a strainer, strain the water mixture into a medium pot and leave behind the seeds and fibrous material in the strainer.
- Add the contents of the date and water bowl into a food processor. Blend on high speed until the dates become a fine puree.
- Add pureed dates, 2 tablespoons jaggery powder , 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon fennel seed powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoons ground ginger powder, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt to the same pot containing the tamarind water. Turn the stove to medium-high and allow the liquid to come to a rolling boil. Boil the liquid for approximately 15 minutes or until the tamarind date chutney reduces into a thick syrup.
- Turn heat off and allow the chutney to cool before storing it away in an airtight container to use. Chutney will last up to a month in the fridge.
Notes and Tips
- Fennel usually sells as seeds so simply use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind the seeds into a powder.
- Jaggery powder can be easily found online or at your local Indian store. You can alternatively substitute palm sugar, moscavado sugar, or dark brown sugar for jaggery.
- Tamarind pulp can easily be found online or at your local Indian store. Check out this blog on how to substitute tamarind concentrate or lime juice for tamarind pulp.
- This recipe easily doubles or triples. I love making a large batch to store away in the fridge or freezer.
Shri Repp