Tamarind Chutney is the sweet and tangy dipping sauce that often accompanies Indian snack foods and appetizers like Pakoras and Samosas. This recipe is highly customizable! It also makes an affordable and thoughtful gift for foodie friends.
You know what I love about going out for Indian cuisine? Tamarind Chutney. Seriously, the sauce that accompanies pakoras, samosas and battered paneer is like the best sweet and tangy dipping sauce there is, hands down.
As yummy as Tamarind Chutney is, it is so very difficult to take a good picture of it (or any brown sauce, for that matter). These pictures are okay, but they don’t pop or instill a desire in me to make the sauce. As such, they have been sitting on my computer for a few months and this amazing recipe has been ignored. But, with a broken index finger puttering around the kitchen and setting-up the light box to stage a cute photo has not been the easiest task. I figured it was time to break-out this recipe and share it with the world. If anyone has any tips on how to take a great photo of a boring brown sauce, please let me know and I will reshoot! Update January 2018: I reshot! Here is the original pic from November 2016. Phew – much better, eh? Does the sauce a bit more justice!
Tamarind chutney is very customizable and varies a lot from restaurant to restaurant. I have enjoyed it in various ways from a very thin sauce drizzled on a chickpea-based appetizer and a thicker, more sharp tasting dip for fried goodies. I set-out to make my own and landed on the perfect consistency and sweetness for at-home Indian cuisine. It’s so good, I sometimes dip naan right into it and call it a day! #healthychoices
This sauce keeps will in the fridge but can also be frozen and thawed when needed. I just take it out of the freezer about 24 hours before needed and let it thaw, in the fridge in the original freezer bag. I have also jarred the Tamarind Chutney is cute jars and gifted to friends for a Christmas or Housewarming gift. As Tamarind is often one of the first ‘dishes’ people tend to like when being introduced to Indian cuisine, it’s always a hit! In my household, we don’t just enjoy this dip with Indian cuisine but serve this sauce as a dip for homemade oven fries! Seriously, this stuff is better than ketchup!
Tamarind Chutney
Ingredients
- 8 oz Tamarind pulp brick form, this is typically half the brick
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ginger ground
Instructions
- Prepare tamarind pulp by cutting into 1 inch cubes. Place in medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, shut-off heat (leave on element) and cover. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to soften.
- Mash tamarind pulp and water mixture with a potato masher or hands.
- Filter-out seeds and veins by pushing mixture through fine sieve or cheesecloth. Discard veins and seeds.
- Add sugar and spices to tamarind pulp and mix well. If sauce is too thick, add water in small amounts until desired consistency.
- Store in air-tight container in the fridge for two weeks. Mixture can be frozen and thawed!
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