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Madhur Jaffrey’s Tamarind Chutney Recipe

Name: Madhur Jaffrey’s Tamarind Chutney Recipe
Prep time: 7 min
Total time: 7 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 brick seedless tamarind paste; ⅔ cup hot water; 6 tablespoons sugar, or to taste; ¾ teaspoon salt; 1½ teaspoons roasted cumin powder; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon powdered ginger; 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Aug 26, 2024 • 2 min read

Tamarind chutney—a condiment that’s all at once sweet, sour, and spicy—is traditionally made from dried tamarind that is sold in a brick, which is then soaked and strained into a paste. “We had a big tamarind tree in our house,” Madhur says. “As children, we used to love to eat them. Even now, I can’t resist. I just want to break this off and put it in my mouth because I love eating the tamarind just by itself.”

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What Is Tamarind Chutney?

Sweet tamarind chutney, or imli chutney, is a tangy Indian condiment made from tamarind pulp and spices. Its sweet-and-sour flavor profile is the ideal counterpart to spicy or fried Indian foods, which is why, along with green chutney, tamarind chutney is a popular accompaniment to chaat, a category of Indian street foods that includes samosas, pakoras, dahi puri, and bhel puri. Tamarind chutney may also be served with any meal, including breakfast.

Recipes for tamarind chutney vary: It may be sweetened with refined cane sugar, raw jaggery, or dates, or feature spices like fennel seed, hing (asafetida), or musky, sulfurous black salt (kala namak) in addition to ground cumin seeds and red chili powder. Traditional tamarind chutney is made from unseasoned, fibrous pulp sold in bricks found at Indian grocery stores. If you can’t find dried tamarind bricks in a market near you, ready-made paste is available online. Avoid purchasing tamarind concentrate; it has a different consistency and flavor.

Madhur Jaffrey’s Tamarind Chutney Recipe

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6 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

prep time

7 min

total time

7 min

Ingredients

1 brick seedless tamarind paste
⅔ cup hot water
6 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons roasted cumin powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

1
Break off about ⅓ cup tamarind, or a piece about the size of a large tangerine. Break this piece into smaller pieces, and place the pieces in a medium bowl.
2
Cover the tamarind pieces with the hot water, and let them soak overnight. The next day, mash the tamarind pieces between your fingers to loosen them.
3
Set a coarse mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain the tamarind pulp, pressing down with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Be sure to scrape up any excess paste that clings to the underside of the strainer.
4
Add the sugar, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger, and mint leaves. Stir well to combine. The finished chutney should have the consistency of a heavy, pourable cream; if the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
5
Store the tamarind chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze for longer storage.

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