Imli Chutney (Tamarind Chutney)
املی کی چٹنی
Imli chutney is the dark, glossy, sweet-sour sauce that makes chana chaat, samosa chaat and dahi baray taste the way they should. This Pakistani version cooks tamarind with dried aloo bukhara and dates, which add body and a fruity depth, then sweetens it with gur and spikes it with roasted cumin, chili and black salt. Straining the pulp well and simmering gently until it just coats a spoon gives a smooth chutney that pours easily and keeps for weeks.
- ⏱ Total: 55 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 12
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Break the tamarind into small pieces and put it in a bowl with the dried plums and dates. Pour over 2 cups of the hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, until soft.
Squeeze and mash everything with your fingers until the pulp comes away from the fibres and the plum stones. Press it through a sieve, add the remaining cup of water to what is left in the sieve, squeeze again and strain. Discard the stones and fibres.
Pour the strained pulp into a , add the gur and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the gur dissolves.
Lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chutney is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, dried ginger, black salt and salt, and simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste: it should be clearly sweet and sour at the same time, with a gentle heat. Add more gur or salt if needed.
Turn off the heat, stir in the chaat masala and let the chutney cool completely; it thickens as it cools. Pour into a clean glass jar and serve with chaat, samosas, pakoras or dahi baray.
Kitchen notes
Take the chutney off the heat while it is still a little runnier than you want. Tamarind and gur set noticeably as they cool, and an over-reduced chutney turns sticky like jam.
Blocks of tamarind sometimes hide seeds and bits of shell, so always strain the pulp, even if the pack says seedless.
Use a steel or enamel pot, not aluminium or iron. The acid in tamarind reacts with them and gives a metallic taste.
The sweet-sour heart of chaat
No Pakistani chaat plate is complete without a dark ribbon of imli chutney. It balances the tang of yogurt, the heat of green chutney and the earthiness of chickpeas and potatoes. It is poured over chana chaat, samosa chaat, papri chaat, dahi baray and gol gappay, and served on the side with samosas and pakoras, especially at iftar. Many homes make a large jar before Ramadan so it is ready all month.
Strain well, simmer gently
Soaking softens the tamarind, dates and dried plums so their pulp separates easily from the fibres and stones. Use your hands for the mashing; it is quicker and more thorough than a spoon. Straining twice, with a second splash of water, pulls out every bit of flavour and gives a smooth, glossy chutney with no grit.
Simmering concentrates the fruit and melts the gur into it. Keep the heat low once it boils, since the sugar can catch on the bottom of the pot. The spices go in at the end so roasted cumin keeps its aroma. is important here: its faintly sulphurous tang is what makes it taste like chaat shop chutney rather than a plain fruit sauce.
Variations
- Imli aloo bukhara chutney: double the dried plums and reduce the dates for a tangier, redder chutney.
- Saunth chutney: use more dried ginger and a pinch of fennel powder for the spiced north-Indian style.
- Quick version: stir ready-made tamarind paste with gur, water and the spices and simmer for 5 minutes.
Storing
Cool completely before closing the jar, so no condensation forms inside. Keep it in the fridge and loosen it with a spoon of water if it thickens too much over time.
Questions people ask
How long does imli chutney keep?
In a clean, dry glass jar in the fridge it keeps for 3–4 weeks. Always use a dry spoon. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Can I make it without dates or aloo bukhara?
Yes. Plain tamarind and gur make a perfectly good chutney, just thinner and sharper. Dates add thickness and sweetness, while aloo bukhara adds a fruity tang and a deep red-brown colour.
Can I use sugar instead of gur?
Yes. White sugar gives a lighter, sharper chutney; brown sugar comes closer to gur. Gur gives the deepest, most caramel-like flavour and the traditional dark colour.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 72
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
