Imli Khajur Chutney

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the tamarind quickly if needed. Add the seedless tamarind, pitted dates, jaggery, water, and chopped ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

2. 2

   Lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the tamarind softens fully, the dates are plump, and the jaggery has dissolved. The liquid should smell sweet-sour and slightly spicy.

3. 3

   Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes, just enough so it blends safely. This short rest also helps the tamarind loosen further.

4. 4

   Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the ground roasted cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, black salt, and fine salt, then blend until very smooth. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons extra water only to help the blades move; the chutney should be pourable but thick.

5. 5

   Pass the blended chutney through a fine sieve back into a bowl or clean pan, pressing well with a spoon to extract all the pulp. This gives the classic smooth chaat-style texture.

6. 6

   Taste and adjust consistency if needed: for dipping, keep it thick; for drizzling over chaat, thin with a little water. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Roasting and grinding cumin fresh gives the best aroma; if using ready ground cumin, briefly warm it in a dry pan for 20-30 seconds first.
• •This chutney thickens as it cools, so make it slightly looser than you want for serving.
• •Store refrigerated in a clean jar for up to 1 week, or freeze in small portions for longer storage.
• •Excellent with samosa, pakora, dahi bhalla, bhel puri, and sev puri.

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