Dates and Tamarind Chutney ~ For Chaats

Other name - Sweet Tamarind Chutney

Prep Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 35 min

Ingredients

1. Thick jaggery syrup - 1 cup
2. Black dates (deseeded) - 15 no's
3. Tamarind - small orange sized
4. Hot water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup
5. Water - 1.25 cups
6. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Fennel seeds powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp
10. Black pepper powder - 3/4 tsp
11. Dry ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Black salt - 1/2 tsp
13. Salt - 1 tsp

Method

1. Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water; set aside.
2. Soak deseeded dates in quarter cup of hot water; set aside.
3. Meanwhile dry roast cumin seeds; allow to cool & pound using pestle and mortar.
4. Squeeze out tamarind extract, dilute with one and a quarter cups of water; strain & set aside.
5. Grind dates in a mixie / blender / food processor adding dilute tamarind extract to a smooth paste.
6. Heat thick jaggery syrup, dilute tamarind extract, dates paste in a wok/pan on high flame for 5 min.
7. Reduce flame to medium, add red chilly powder, kashmiri red chilly powder & cook for about 25 min.
8. Reduce flame to low & cook for about 3 min.
9. Add fennel seeds powder, pounded cumin powder, black pepper powder, dry ginger powder, black salt, salt; mix well & cook for another 2 min.
10. Let the chutney become quite thick in consistency; whenever required dilute with enough water as per desired consistency.
11. Adjust ingredients according to taste.
12. Allow to cool & refrigerate for future use; stays fresh for about a month or two when refrigerated.
13. Serves best along with all the chaat items, samosas, kachoris, dhoklas, bhel poori, pani poori, pakoras and also for dahi vadas.