Sweet Tamarind chutney

 

Right, then. How about you answer one question?

What's the one ingredient that if you find missing in your chats, say dahi puri or samosa ragada, you would go mad, really really mad? Ok not mad, but you know something's missing, right?

Come on! Imli ki chutney! Admit it. You love it with your samosas and bajjies, don't you?

It's actually very simple to make.

Here's what you need:

2 cups of Tamarind pulp - a lime sized ball of tamarind is enough

Sugar - to taste

Chaat masala - 2 tbsp

Dhanya powder/ Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder / Ground cumin - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Start by soaking tamarind in some warm water. Mash it and take out the pulp carefully using more water. Use a sieve to strain out bits. Add sugar and the rest of the masalas and stir well. Taste and tweak accordingly. The consistency will be quite liquid till you bring it to boil. Let it cook for a minute or two. It will begin to thicken. And will start looking dark and syrupy. That's it.

A word of advice. Sugar balances the tamarind. So dont be afraid to put in enough sugar to get the taste right. Also, the colour of the tamarind actually decides the colour of the chutney in the end. If you like, you can add red colour to get the restaurant effect.

Good luck!