Dates and Tamarind Chutney

How to make Sweet Dates and Tamarind Chutney | Meethi Chutney | Bhel Puri Sweet Chutney | Khajur Imli Ki Chutney 

Hello Friends,

I'm back with one more chutney recipe. Dates and Tamarind chutney aka Khajur Imli Ki Chutney is a sweet and tangy, lip smacking, awesomely delicious and mouth-watering Indian sauce made from dates, tamarind, jaggery and flavored and spiced with dry ginger powder, ajwain, cumin seeds, and red chilly powder. This chutney is an essential element for all the Indian chaat recipes. It blends so well and spruce up almost all our favorite lip smacking indian chaat food items.

My today's date tamarind chutney recipe is mainly prepared for Bhel puri and sev batata puri, so I would love to call this chutney as Bhel Puri Chutney. Though it can also be synced with all the other chaat recipes... but the fact is this works great with my Bhel puri recipe.

In my early days of cooking l use to select an equal proportion of dates and tamarind ... but dad always use to complain as Bhel puri taste is not good and not giving the exact same feel and taste as what we buy from Bhel puri stalls and shops. And tamarind proportion is more than desired and you're making it very tangy in taste. Hence, to overcome this problem, I started using 30-35% of tamarind and 70% of dates proportion.. And the good news is that it actually worked and given a perfect and desired Bhel puri taste.. 

Cooking for me is all about exploring and creating recipes considering health and also understanding the side effect of particular food ingredient on different age groups. Did you know that excess use of tamarind gives you Vata Dosh (Vaat in marathi). It means mild pain and discomfort in the muscles, bones, joints and nervous system. So that's the reason dry ginger and ajwain is added in tamarind chutney as these are considered as good remedies to nullify the strong effect of vata Dosh.. .. 

☑Let's get started with the recipe details 

▫Recipe Type - Accompaniment 

▫Cuisine Indian 

▫Preparation time 10-12 minutes 

▫Cooking time 35-40 minutes 

▫Best time to consume within a week's time

▫Best place to store - refrigerator 

☑Ingredients required 

⚫200 grams Dates (preferably Seedless)

⚫60-70 grams Tamarind 

⚫50-60 grams Jaggery

⚫2-3 tbsp Kashmiri red chilly powder 

⚫1-2 tsp black salt - kala namak

⚫Pinch of sea salt - mota namak 

⚫1-2 tsp ajwain 

⚫1 tsp dry ginger powder

⚫⅓ tsp garam masala powder

⚫1-2 tsp cumin seeds powder

⚫1 tsp fennel seed powder (optional) 

⚫Salt to taste

☑Method 
✔Step 1 Mise en place

◾Dates - In a saucepan, add dates and 120 ml water - cook on slow flame for 5-7 minutes. Leave it to cool down - blend it - in a mini chopper or food processor and then strain the date paste through a sieve to remove lumpy pieces and fibers. Keep it aside until called for.

◾Tamarind - Washed and soaked in hot water for 10-12 minutes or simmer for 5-7 minutes till it becomes soft. Allow it to cool down completely. Take out the seeds and blend with the help of mini chopper and then strain the mixture through a sieve to remove fibers. Keep it aside until called for.

◾Cumin and fennel seeds - dry roast and powder it

◾Jaggery - nicely washed and grated 

✔Step 2 Cooking time

◾Combine all the ingredients mentioned below and 1-2 cups of water in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

◾Mix it all up nicely. Ingredients which are combined together are as follows - dates pulp, tamarind pulp, grated jaggery, ajwain, cumin and fennel seeds powder, sea salt, rock salt, garam masala powder, red chili powder, dry ginger powder and salt to taste

◾Cook this mixture on slow flame for 20-25 minutes. 

◾ Continue stirring in between to avoid sticking.. 

◾When it hits the desired consistency switch off the gas stove. .

◾Adjust the spices and salt as per your preference.. 

◾Allow it to come to room temperature and then store this chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use as and when required. This chutney has good shelf life and can be easily stored for months time, but it's advisable to prepare in small amount and use within a week's time.

Also refer 

BHELPURI HARI CHUTNEY 

Moong Dal Sev Batata Puri