Imli Khajur Chutney Tamarind Date Sauce

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.

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.