Imli chutney or tamarind chutney as it's known in the Indian households is sweet and tart chutney that is very popular with snacks such as samosas, spring rolls and chaats. It's made by cooking tamarind pulp with dates, jaggery sugar(gur) and spices.
I like to come up with ways to make my recipes quick yet delicious. I made this in the instant pot and even had friends tell me that I should sell it (thinking about it :))! It's very tasteful and delicious on so many snacks and meat dishes(as marinate or just a bit as a sauce). This will last in the fridge for a month and freezer for 3-4 months! Remember to use airtight containers if keeping in the fridge!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
1 cup pitted dates (20-25 dates) - DON'T HAVE...thats okay...double the quantity of the jaggery powder/brown sugar.
1 cup jaggery powder (gur) or brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp himalayan black salt (kaala namak)
1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne powder
1 tsp dried ginger powder
1 1/2 cup water (a bit more if making on the stove)
1 tsp fennel powder (optional but gives it the nice aroma)
PROCESS
Place all the ingredients in the instant pot (or stove top). For stove top..add 1/2 extra water.
Add Water and cook on high for 10 minutes. Stove top..15 minutes (till the dates start to disintegrate)
Manually release the pressure.
Open the lid and using an immersion blender puree the mixture (remove the seeds if any). Let is cool a bit if you're using a stand-alone blender (speaking from experience...had loads of cleaning to do)
Taste and adjust to the desired taste (add more salt or spices if needed)
Saute for about 3-4 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Strain the liquid using the mesh strainer..for best results...pour a bit at a time and you may have to repeat this part couple of times to get to the consistency you want. I strained couple of times then added the pulp back and left in the fridge overnight..then restrained again! Get all the juice!
THAT'S IT! Use in chaats, samosas, hash brown or marinate meat with it..amazing!
ENJOY!