Tamarind Date Chutney (Meethi Chutney)

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.

❤️About This Tamarind Date Chutney 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 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: 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.

👩‍🍳How To Make Tamarind Date Chutney? (Stepwise Pics) 

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.

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.

Instant Pot Instructions For Meethi Chutney

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 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).

💭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.
  • If your chutney is super thick then store in a wide mouth mason jar and freeze. Use a spoon to remove required amount as needed. Because of less water content, it won’t freeze like a solid hard. But storing in the freezer will increase the shelf-life.
  • If chutney consistency is thin then I would freeze in the smaller portions in silicone molds and defrost them by keeping on the countertop for a few hours as needed.

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