TAMARIND DATE CHUTNEY| IMLI KHAJUR KHATTI MEETHI CHAAT CHUTNEY

This sweet and sour chutney blend spruces up almost all chaat recipes. The addition of jaggery makes the chutney sweeter, but you may omit it if you prefer a more tangy flavour.

Sweet chutney is an essential component of Chaat, all varieties of Chaat including Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Masala Puri and Samosa. Just a dash of this stunning sweet-tart condiment spread over Chaat, enhances the flavor by leaps and bounds, making it a key factor for a complete Chaat experience. This zesty sweet and tangy dip recipe calls for the use of tamarind, dates, jaggery and roasted cumin powder.

Ingredients :

2 cups dates (khajur), deseeded

1/4 cup tamarind (imli), deseeded
1 cup grated jaggery (gur)
1 tsp chilli powder

1 tspn chatmasala

1 tsp roasted cumin powder
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

salt to taste

Method :

1. Wash the dates and tamarind and place them in a saucepan.
2. Add the jaggery, chilli powder,cumin powder,chatmasala, asafoetida, salt and 4 cups of water and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Cool and strain the mixture through a sieve.
4. Use as required. Store refrigerated.

Tips

1. You can also purée the chutney in a food processor and then strain it.
2. you can replace jaggery with sugar.
3. Add a pinch of chatmasala to above mixture.
4. This chutney can be stored refrigerated for upto a month and deep frozen for more than 6 months.
5. When required, take few tbsps of chutney, add little water to dilute it to the consistency of your choice. The sweet chutney can be refrigerated and has a shelf life of 2-3 months.