Monday, 23 September 2013

Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney)

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!



This recipe is for Tamarind Chutney, commonly known in Pakistan as Imli Chutney. It is a sour, sweet, spicy and salty dipping sauce that can be eaten with most foods. There are many ways to make it, and the end product is usually the result of a persons own taste. Tamarind itself is extremely sour, so has to be sweetened in many ways. 

A Simple List of Ingredients:

1. Wet Tamarind
2. Caster Sugar
3. Salt
4. Red Chilli Powder
5. Water
6. Tinned Tomatoes
7. Ground Cumin
8. Tomato Ketchup
9. Mint Sauce

Bismillah, let's begin!


First, take a 400 gram block of wet tamarind. We will only be using half of this.



So, slice the tamarind block in half. It will be quite tough so be careful.



We only need half of the block - 200 grams of wet tamarind.



Place 1 and 1/2 pints water into a large saucepan.



Place the wet tamarind into the water. Allow to soak for about 10-15 minutes.



Squeeze the tamarind with your hand in the water.



Squeeze the tamarind until it breaks up into small pieces.



Next, take 4 ounces (1/2 cup) caster sugar.



Along with the sugar, also take one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon red chilli powder.



Place the saucepan onto a high heat, and add the sugar, salt and chilli powder.



Bring the mixture to the boil.



Then, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.



Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and then strain into a large bowl.



Next, add two teaspoons ground cumin.



Add two tablespoons mint sauce.



Squeeze in 1/2 cup tomato ketchup.



Next, take a tin of tomatoes, and blend until smooth. Then, add it to the chutney, and stir to combine. 
Place the chutney back into the saucepan.



Bring the chutney to the boil once again, and cook for 2 minutes. 
Now, the most important point, is to TASTE the chutney. You may need to add more salt or sugar or any of the other ingredients. But, remember, that this chutney should be a balance of all the flavours - sour, sweet, salty and spicy.



Once the right flavour has been found, cool the chutney completely, and serve! Imli chutney is great with chips, samosas, pakoras - anything really! Store in the fridge.

Wasalaam!


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