Today I am going to make a sweet and sour Halwai style chaat chutney which enhances the taste of every chaat, pakora, idli, samosa, khaman dokla, tikki, dahi vada. So today I have brought for you a sweet and sour tamarind chutney just like the market chaat shop and always doubles the taste of our snacks but without this tamarind chutney, everything is incomplete. So just make it in advance and enjoy every snack. Make it once and eat it for a month.
What Is Tamarind Chutney
Tamarind chutney is a popular condiment made from tamarind pulp. It is known for its pungent, sweet and slightly spicy taste.
Ingredients: Its main ingredient is tamarind, a tropical fruit. Other ingredients include sugar or jaggery (unrefined sugar), salt, spices like cumin and ginger powder, and sometimes dates for sweetness.
Taste Tamarind Chutney has a complex flavor combining the pungency of tamarind, the sweetness of sugar or jaggery, and the flavors of various spices.
Uses: It is commonly used as a dipping sauce for snacks like samosas, pakoras, and chaat (Indian street food). It can also be sprinkled over dishes to enhance their taste.
Cultural Significance: Tamarind chutney is a staple of Indian cuisine and is often served during festivals, celebrations, and family gatherings.
Preparation: To make tamarind chutney, tamarind pulp is soaked in hot water, strained to remove seeds and fibers, then cooked with sugar and spices until thick.
Health benefits: Tamarind is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It aids digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Storage: Homemade tamarind chutney can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Variations: There are many regional variations of tamarind chutney in India, each with unique flavors, such as adding ginger, mint, or different spices.
Availability Tamarind chutney is easily available in Indian grocery stores but many people prefer to make it at home for the fresh taste and customization.
I hope this gives you a clear and comprehensive understanding of tamarind chutney!
Prep Time-15Mins = Cook Time-15 Mins = Total Time-30Mins = Serving-200ml = Author- Kavita
Ingredients Needed
1 200g Seedless Tamarind
2 2 cups Warm Water or Add as required
3 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 1/2 tbsp ginger powder
5 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
6 1/2 tbsp black salt
7 1/2 tbsp regular salt
8 1 pinch Asafoetida
9 1/2 black pepper
10 1 tbsp fennel seeds
11 1 tbsp oil
12 200g bowl crushed jaggery
13 150gm sugar
How To Make Tamarind Chutney
Soak the tamarind: Place the tamarind pulp into a bowl and pour two cups of hot water over it.
Soak it for about 30 minutes. This will soften the tamarind, making it easier to use.
Extract tamarind juice: After soaking, mash the tamarind with your hands and squeeze out as much juice as possible.
Filter the mixture through a sieve to remove seeds and fibers.
This will give you soft tamarind juice.
You can also store this pulp in the refrigerator for 6 months. You can use it in any type of dish. For sourness.
Now let’s come to the secret, how does the sweet and sour tamarind chutney of Halwai get such a good aroma and taste? For that, Halwai adds roasted spices.
We will put a pan on the gas. Here I am taking one spoonful of fennel, along with this I am adding one tablespoon of black pepper, and along with this, I will add one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Roast these things on the flame for a few seconds.
What will happen is that the essential oils present in the whole spices will get activated. And the aroma will be amazing. When you add this spice to the chutney, you will see this change yourself. By roasting it a little and adding it, the flavor will also be enhanced and the self-life of the chutney will also be longer. A very nice aroma has started coming from the spices, now turn off the gas and leave it to cool.
And after all the spices cool down, put them in a grinding jar and grind them coarsely. Neither too finely nor too coarsely.
Cook the chutney: Now first of all we will put a pan on the gas and pour one teaspoon of oil in it. When the oil becomes hot, we will put some soap and cumin seeds in it.
Also, add 1 pinch of Asafoetida, and temper everything well.
Now add jaggery and one cup of water, our jaggery will dissolve quickly, turn the flame to low medium and stir continuously.
The jaggery has melted well, and now our sweet and sour tamarind chutney will get the Halwai style taste, crispness, and shine, along with this I will add sugar here.
We will melt the sugar well here.
Now we will add our prepared tamarind pulp mix it well and stir it continuously for 2 to 4 minutes.
If you feel the consistency is a bit thick then you can add some water, mix it well and when the chutney is cooked, bubbles will start appearing on top.
Here we will add our prepared masala which we prepared by roasting. And here we will add one teaspoon of black salt.
Now we will add dry ginger powder, one teaspoon of red chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Mix everything well and cook on low flame. This will make it taste good and it will not spoil for a long time.
Mix all the things well and cook on low flame so that it tastes good and also it will not spoil for a long time.
And here it is, our Halwai-style sweet and sour tamarind chutney is ready.
Serving Suggestions
Tamarind chutney makes a great dipping sauce for a variety of snacks like samosas, pakoras, pani puri, dahi vada, and spring rolls. Its tangy and sweet flavor enhances the delicious taste of these fried snacks, adding an extra layer of deliciousness.
Storage
Use clean containers: Always store tamarind chutney in clean dry containers. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are best as they prevent contamination and keep the chutney fresh.
Refrigerate immediately: After making tamarind chutney, refrigerate it as soon as possible. Chilling slows the growth of bacteria and mold, making the chutney safe to eat for a longer period.
Nutritional information for 1 tablespoon (15 grams) serving:
Calories:13 kcal
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 60 mg
Total carbohydrates: 7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 0.2 g
Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamin A: 0% of the daily value (DV)
Vitamin C:2% of the DV
Calcium:1% of the DV
Iron:2% of the DV
These values may vary slightly depending on the exact ingredients used in the recipe and their proportions. If you have specific brands or types of ingredients (such as jaggery and sugar), the values may change accordingly. For accurate nutritional information, you may consider using a nutrition calculator or app where you can enter the exact ingredient amounts and types.