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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Why This Recipe Works
- Palm sugar and dates give this chutney body and earthy sweetness.
- Ground ginger and Kashmiri red chile powder add savory spice and depth.
It's rare to find mint chutney without its partner in crime, sweet-and-sour tamarind chutney. Store-bought and restaurant versions are often sickly-sweet, loaded with corn syrup and sugar. Instead, my homemade chutney recipe gets its body and mellow sweetness from chewy dates and earthy palm sugar.
Tamarind can be found in many forms, from jarred concentrates to dried whole pods. Here, I've used seedless tamarind paste, which gives all the flavor of the fresh pods without any of the fuss. A quick steep in hot water softens the dates and tamarind and melts the palm sugar, readying it all to be blended into a smooth chutney.
November 2017
This recipe was originally published as a component of our Papri Chaat (Indian Street Snack With Potato, Chickpeas, and Chutneys) Recipe and is being republished here as a separate recipe to make it easier to use.
Recipe Details
Spiced Tamarind Chutney Recipe
Subtly spiced and earthly sweet.
Ingredients
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4 medjool dates (40g), pitted
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1/3 cup (85g) tamarind paste (not concentrate)
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1/2 teaspoon (2g) ginger powder
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1/4 teaspoon (1g) Kashmiri red chile powder (see note)
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1/3 cup (100g) palm sugar or light brown sugar
Directions
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In a small saucepan, combine dates, tamarind paste, ginger powder, chile powder, sugar, and 3/4 cup (175ml) water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes to soften the tamarind paste and dates.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
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Using a blender, purée until smooth (if chutney is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time to reach desired consistency), then pass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any fibrous bits. Store in an airtight container.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Notes
Kashmiri red chile powder is mild and fruity. If you cannot find it and wish to substitute cayenne pepper, be sure to cut the amount used in the recipe by half.
Special Equipment
Make-Ahead and Storage
The chutney will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Read More
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
60 | Calories |
0g | Fat |
15g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 60 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 5mg | 0% |
Total Carbohydrate 15g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 13g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
Calcium 9mg | 1% |
Iron 0mg | 2% |
Potassium 74mg | 2% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |