Tamarind Chutney, also known as Imli Chutney is a sweet and tangy Indian condiment made with tamarind, dates, jaggery, and a few spices. This easy Tamarind Date chutney is a must-have with chaat recipes like Pani puri, and Bhel Puri and as a dip with snacks like samosa, dhokla, kachori, and pakoras. Here is how to make this sweet tamarind chutney using the Instant Pot, and a regular pot on the stovetop.
In a pot or saucepan, add tamarind, dates with 2 cups of water.
Bring it to a boil and keep simmering and stirrring until the dates and tamarind are soft.
Turn off the heat, add the jaggery, and mix to dissolve. Allow to cool completely.
Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender ) and blend to smooth paste.
Place a sieve (mesh strainer) over the pot and strain the tamarind and date pulp. Press with the back of a spoon or spatula. Discard the fiber left in the strainer.
Turn on the heat (flame) and add the spices. Mix well. Cook for 5 mins stirring intermittently until the chutney comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
Tamarind chutney is ready! Cool completely and store in air tight jar/container.
Tamarind Chutney Instant Pot Method
Add the dates, tamarind, jaggery, and water to the Instant Pot insert. Mix well.
Close the Instant pot lid and cook on manual (or pressure cook) at high pressure for 8 mins. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid, and check if the dates and tamarind are cooked. They should be soft and mash easily.
Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender ) and blend to smooth paste.
Place a sieve (mesh strainer) over the instant pot insert and strain the tamarind, and date pulp. Press with the back of a spoon or spatula. Discard the fiber remaining in the strainer.
Start the Instant pot back on saute. Add the spices and mix well.
Cook for 5 mins stiring intermittently until the chutney comes to a simmer. Turn off the instant pot.
Sweet and tangy Tamarind Date Chutney is ready! Cool completely and store in air tight jar/container.
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Notes
This recipe makes 2.5 cups or 20 ounces of thick tamarind chutney. You can adjust the consistency with water depending on the recipe you are using it for. Instead of seedless tamarind, you can also use tamarind paste or concentrate and adjust the sweetness accordingly.Similarly, you can substitute jaggery, with regular sugar or brown sugar. I've used Medjool dates that are sweeter and creamier and hence needed just ½ cup of jaggery. Depending on the type of dates used, and your taste preference you can add/adjust the sweetness of this chutney. Along with dates, you can also add a handful of raisins. I’ve skipped them. To make tamarind chutney without dates, just double the amount of jaggery. The color of the chutney will vary depending on the quality/color of tamarind, dates, and jaggery used.