IMLI CHUTNEY RECIPE, THICK AND DELICIOUS

IMLI Chutney's recipe is simply a variation of tamarind chutney. I'm not exaggerating that this is the best version of tamarind chutney because it gives you that thick texture you need to coat the snack. This version has the depth of taste with jaggery and dates. All flavors are well wedded and so balanced. I've been making this chutney for decades and trust me, its tastes far better than regular tamarind chutney.

This tangy Tamarind chutney has dates and jaggery as a natural sweetener. Plus dates also give a thicker texture to the chutney. Cumin powder in chutney gives an extra punch.

INGREDIENTS FOR IMLI DATE CHUTNEY

• Tamarind is also called imli in Urdu. You can easily find tamarind in any Indian store. Tamarind is available as a thick paste that can be with or without seeds. You can know more about tamarind here.
• A date is also called khajur. So this chutney is also called khajur imli chutney or just khajur chutney or date chutney. You can use any soft date variety for this recipe.
• Lastly, I'm using jaggery in the recipe that is also called gor, gur, or gor. It is also available in the Indian store. However, you can substitute jaggery for sugar or light molasses, or brown sugar.

HOW TO USE TAMARIND CHUTNEY?

This simple Imli chutney is super handy as it stays good for long in the fridge. It hardly needs any effort to make and goes well with Samosa, Pakora, mixed Chat, Cholay, stuffed paratha, chatni roll, bun kabab, tikka, grilled fish, Dahi Bara, and almost with any desi snack. I highly recommend making a batch of this chutney before the festive seasons like Ramadan and Eid. 

TIPS TO STORE CHUTNEY.

• Straining is not required if using seedless tamarind. Just use 1.5 cups of seedless tamarind instead of 3 cups.
• Always store imli chutney in a clean jar in the fridge.
• It stays good in the fridge for up to 15 days or more because the acids and sugars in chutney both act as natural preservatives.
• You can store excess chutney in the freezer, which stays good for more than four months.
• Substitute jaggery with sugar, if needed.
• Use a clean spoon every time for serving.
• Discard, if you see fungus on the top layer of chutney or it smells bad.

I make a large batch of this chutney and freeze it in small bottles. So one small jar stays in the fridge while others are frozen. You can use freezer bags too. This chutney gets thawed really fast due to extra sugar in it.

HOW TO MAKE TAMARIND DATE CHUTNEY

In a pot take Tamarind (imli) and water.

Add jaggery (gur) and sugar, spices; like red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt.

Also, add dates to the pot and start cooking on medium heat.

As water boil tamarind gets soft and jaggery and sugar melt. Break the lumps of tamarind and mix well. Cook well till dates, jaggery,  tamarind all melts and form a syrup. Add more water if required. (around 10 minutes of total cooking.) Adjust the taste and thickness of chutney at this stage.

Put a coarse strainer on a large pot. Strain the mixture to remove tamarind seeds. Spread the mixture all over the walls of the strainer and wipe the thick liquid from the bottom. You may do this in batches if you have a small sieve or a large batch of tamarind chutney.

Optional Step: To extract most of the flavor from seeds, in a bowl mix about a ½-¾ cup of water and strained seeds and mix well. Then repeat the straining process once more.

Smooth and tasty imli chutney/ tamarind and date chutney is ready.