Sweet, tangy, and with a hint of spice to balance the flavors, this mouthwatering tamarind chutney is easy to make at home. A must-have chutney to dip samosas in or to drizzle over chaat.
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Making homemade tamarind chutney is easy. It can be made ahead and refrigerated. In this recipe, I use both dates and jaggery to add sweetness but you can also use just dates or just jaggery if you like.
An essential condiment in Indian cuisine, Tamarind chutney enhances dishes such as Papdi Chat, Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri, and Aloo Chaat with its sweet and tangy notes. The flavors perfectly balance the spicy Green Chutney, making both the chutneys a must-have in chat. Tamarind chutney is often served with papadums in Indian restaurants, it's a perfect dip for Samosas and Onion Pakoras too.
Ingredients to make Tamarind Chutney
- Tamarind Paste - I love the convenience of concentrated tamarind paste. It is readily available in Indian grocery stores and I would recommend Swad, Tamicon, or Rani brand
- Dates - Pitted dates add creamy texture and sweetness to the chutney
- Jaggery - Also known as "Gur" or "Gud" in Hindi, jaggery is unrefined sugar with an earthy, caramel-like flavor
- Spices - red chili powder, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander and ground ginger balance the sweet and tangy flavors of the chutney
How to make Tamarind Chutney
- Add dates and water to the Instant Pot insert. Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Quick release. Stir in Jaggery and tamarind paste. (photos 1 - 4)
- Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Note: You can also use a blender. Strain the pureed paste, use a silicone spatula or press down with your fingers. Discard any solids that will be left in the strainer (Photos 5 -8)
- Return the strained tamarind chutney paste to the Instant Pot insert. Add the dry spices and cook on saute(low) for 5 minutes or until the chutney comes to a gentle boil. Note: the chutney will thicken as it cools down (Photos 9 -10)
Serving
This Sweet Tamarind Chutney is a perfect accompaniment with Samosa, Aloo Chaat, Bhel, Dahi Bhalla, Tater Tots Chaat, Ragda Patties, and many other Indian dishes. It is often paired with green chutney for that spicy, sweet, and tangy flavor combo.
Tips and Substitutions
- Using ready-made tamarind paste is much easier and faster than using whole tamarind.
- If you do not want to use dates, you can double the amount of jaggery
- Medjool dates are bigger and sweeter than regular dates, so use fewer dates or reduce the jaggery.
- This recipe makes thick tamarind chutney, so depending on the recipe you are using it in, you can dilute it with water as needed
- For the stovetop recipe, you can either pressure cook the dates in water or soak them in boiling hot water for an hour.
- Don't have time to strain, use an immersion blender to blend the chutney smoothly!
Storing
Store in a dry airtight container or jar. Refrigerate for up to a month or freeze in smaller containers for a longer shelf life.
Recipe
Tamarind Chutney Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker optional
- Silicone spatula optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup pitted dates 15
- ½ cup jaggery
- ½ cup tamarind paste
- 1 cup water
Spices
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add dates and water to the Instant Pot insert. Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Quick release.
- Stir in Jaggery and tamarind paste. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Note: You can also use an immersion blender or mixer to blend it smooth, in which case the next step can be skipped.
- Strain the pureed paste, use a silicone spatula or press down with your fingers. Discard any fibers that will be left in the strainer.
- Return the strained paste to the Instant Pot insert. Add the dry spices and cook for saute(low) for 5 minutes or until the chutney comes to a gentle boil. Note: the Chutney will thickne as it cools down
- Store in a clean and dry airtight container. Refrigerate for up to a month or freeze for 6 months in multiple smaller containers.
Video
Notes
- Using ready-made tamarind paste is a huge time saver
- If you do not want to use dates, you can double the amount of jaggery
- Medjool dates are bigger and sweeter than the regular dates, so use can either use less or add less jaggery.
- This recipe makes thick tamarind chutney, so depending on the recipe you are using it in, you can dilute it with water as needed
- For the stove-top recipe, you can either pressure cook the dates in water or soak them in hot water for an hour.
Priya says
This chutney is so easy to make and tastes delicious. I’ll never buy it from the store again!
Archana says
Thank you, Priya!
Ananda says
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. making out tomorrow..
Just a small typo I think you mean tamarind rather than jaggery 🙂
“Tamarind Paste - I love the convenience of concentrated *jaggery* paste. It is readily available in Indian…”
Archana says
Thank you. Good catch and I will get that fixed.
Rimjhim Oberoi says
You said it will make 8 servings. How much is that 8 tablespoon or what? Can you please tell how many cups chutney will this recipe make?
Archana says
Makes 1 cup (8 tp 10 ounces) of chutney