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    Home » Side Dishes » Chutneys/Dips

    Tamarind Date Chutney (Meethi Chutney)

    Published: Mar 13, 2012 · Last Modified: May 10, 2022 by Kanan Patel / 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Tamarind date chutney in a small bowl with more in a bigger bowl in the back.

    You can’t imagine a chaat recipe without this tamarind date chutney. In Hindi, it is called khajur imli ki chutney. It has a unique sweet and sour taste (khatta-meetha) hence it is also known as meethi chutney.

    Meethi chutney served in a small bowl.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️About This Recipe
    • 🧾Ingredient Notes
    • 👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 
    • Instant Pot Instructions
    • 💭Expert Tips
    • 🥣 Storage Instructions
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • ⭐ Reviews

    ❤️About This Recipe

    As the name says, it is made from tamarind and dates along with jaggery and a few spices. 

    This tamarind date chutney is one of the must-have chutneys for Indian chaat recipes like bhel puri, sev puri, ragda patties, dahi vada or some snacks like samosa, pakoda, vada pav, etc. Apart from this, two other must-have chutneys are green chutney and red garlic chutney.

    2 Methods: Make in a saucepan on the stovetop or Make in Instant pot (Both methods are mentioned below.)

    Easy to make: Choose any method you prefer as both of them are easy to follow and quick to make.

    Better than store-bought tamarind date chutney: Homemade always tastes better and is fresh. Plus, it is preservative-free or additive-free. 

    Make a big batch: Most of the time I make a large batch and freeze the remaining meethi chutney in the freezer.

    🧾Ingredient Notes

    • Tamarind: I prefer to use seedless tamarind to avoid one step of getting rid of seeds. Instead, you can use ready tamarind paste as well.
    • Dates: I have used Medjool dates and seeds are removed.
    • Jaggery: You can use any kind of jaggery (desi, powdered or kolhapuri) you have on hand. Instead, you can use brown sugar.
    • Roasted cumin powder: To make this at home, dry roast the cumin seeds on medium-low heat until darker in color. Once it cools down grind into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. 
    • Dry ginger powder (Saunth): It adds a nice flavor to the meethi chutney. If you don’t have it then skip it.

    👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 

    1) Take seedless tamarind and dates in a saucepan or patila.

    2) Add 3 cups of water and turn the heat on medium. Let it come to a boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes.

    3) Add jaggery.

    4) Also, add salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and dry ginger powder.

    5) Mix well and let it simmer for again 7-8 minutes. Let this mixture cool down to room temperature.

    Collage of 5 images showing cooking tamarind, date, adding jaggery and spices.

    6) Grind into a smooth puree.

    7) Strain the chutney using a strainer.

    8) You cannot skip this step, as you can see that it may have some string of tamarind which is unpleasant to bite into.

    9) Sweet chutney is ready, let it cool completely before storing it in the jar. If it's too thick at this point then you can add some water to make it a runny, drizzling consistency.

    Collage of 4 images showing grinding, straining the chutney.

    Instant Pot Instructions

    1. Add tamarind, date, jaggery and water in instant pot liner. NOTE: you can do the same using the pot-in-pot method as you can see in the pic, I have made ragda in the liner and tamarind date chutney mixture in the PIP.
    2. Cook on Manual (high pressure) for 8-10 minutes.
    3. Once the pin drop, add salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and dry ginger powder. Mix well.
    4. Follow the same steps as above (grind, strain and store).
    Cooked tamarind date chutney mixture in instant pot.

    💭Expert Tips

    • You can use the tamarind pulp instead of seedless tamarind. If so use the same amount of tamarind pulp that is easily available in Indian grocery stores. 
    • If using tamarind pulp then no need to strain the chutney mixture. So here is the one less step to do.
    • Instead of jaggery, you can use regular sugar or brown sugar. But you’ll miss the depth of flavor that jaggery gives.

    🥣 Storage Instructions

    • This tamarind date chutney has a really good shelf life. 
    • In the refrigerator, it stays good for up to a month in an airtight container. If it thickens after storing, you can add a tablespoon or so of water to make the chutney consistency.
    • In the freezer, it stays good for up to 4-5 months. I would freeze in the smaller portions and defrost them by keeping on the countertop for a few hours as needed.
    Tamarind date chutney in a small bowl with more in a bigger bowl in the back.

    Check Out Other Chutney Recipes

    • Dry garlic chutney
    • Coconut chutney
    • Raw mango chutney
    • Tomato chutney

    Did you try this tamarind date chutney recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.

    📋 Recipe Card

    Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!
    Tamarind date chutney in a small bowl with more in a bigger bowl in the back.
    Print Pin Save Saved!

    Tamarind Date Chutney (Meethi Chutney)

    4.80 from 5 votes
    Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and/or give ★ ratings
    You can’t imagine a chaat recipe without this tamarind date chutney. In Hindi, it is called khajur imli ki chutney. It has a unique sweet and sour taste (khatta-meetha) hence it is also known as meethi chutney.
    Author: Kanan
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Calories: 52kcal
    Servings 12 (~1 ½ cups)
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

    Ingredients  

    • ½ cup Dates seeds removed
    • ⅓ cup Tamarind packed and seedless
    • 2 ½ cups Water
    • ⅓ cup Jaggery (Gur)
    • Salt to taste
    • ½ teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
    • ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon Dry ginger powder (sonth or saunth)
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    Instructions 

    • Take seedless tamarind and dates in a saucepan or patila.
    • Add 3 cups of water and turn the heat on medium. Let it come to a boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
    • Add jaggery. Also, add salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and dry ginger powder.
    • Mix well and let it simmer for again 7-8 minutes. Let this mixture cool down to room temperature.
    • Grind into a smooth puree.
    • Strain the chutney using a strainer and discard the remaining stringy pulp.
    • Sweet chutney is ready, let it cool completely before storing it in the jar.
    • If it's too thick at this point then you can add some water to make it a runny, drizzling consistency.

    Notes

    Instant Pot Tamarind Date Chutney:
    1. Add tamarind, date, jaggery and water in instant pot liner. NOTE: you can do the same using the pot-in-pot method.
    2. Cook on Manual (high pressure) for 8-10 minutes.
    3. Once the pin drop, add salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and dry ginger powder. Mix well.
    4. Follow the same steps as above (grind, strain and store).
    Recipe Notes:
    • You can use the tamarind pulp instead of seedless tamarind. If so use the same amount of tamarind pulp that is easily available in Indian grocery stores.
    • If using tamarind pulp then no need to strain the chutney mixture. So here is the one less step to do.
    • Instead of jaggery, you can use regular sugar or brown sugar. But you’ll miss the depth of flavor that jaggery gives.
    • Storage: It stays good for up to a month in the refrigerator and up to 4-5 months in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.3g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 11.9g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    *Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving
    Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.

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    1. Beena .G.

      April 30, 2020 at 11:28 am

      Made it and it came out great. Will do a chaat night so we can enjoy the chutney.
      Thank you so much.5 stars

      Reply
      • Kanan Patel

        May 01, 2020 at 1:53 pm

        Am I invited for chaat night? 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jonny

      June 17, 2019 at 8:16 am

      Excellent chutney. I made it with extra hot Kashmiri chili powder, so it had a bit of zing. Also had to substitute brown sugar and a bit of molasses for jaggery. This chutney is much better than the bland tamarind chutneys (of which I'm not a fan) served in restaurants. Glad I took a chance on this recipe. It's easy and the results are delicious.5 stars

      Reply
      • Kanan

        June 19, 2019 at 12:08 pm

        Brown sugar and molasses are the best substitute for jaggery. Thank you Jonny for your detailed feedback.
        Happy to know that you liked this recipe.

        Reply
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