Tamarind chutney

This tamarind chutney is one of my favourite chutneys. Good as a dipping sauce with vades and samosas as well as an accompaniment in meals. This recipe makes quite a large quantity, but stored in the fridge, it will last several weeks.

While you can buy tamarind pulp (often labelled tamarind concentrate), I prefer to extract it from dry tamarind (sold in compressed blocks) and they don't have additives often found in tamarind concentrates.

Ingredients

  • 150g dry tamarind

  • 6 cloves garlic

  • 30g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

  • 2 tsp fennel seeds

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds

  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

  • 50 grams of grated coconut (I use frozen grated coconut available from Asian supermarkets)

  • 1 tsp mustard seeds

  • 2-3 tsp oil

  • 1 stalk of curry leaf, leaves picked

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

  • Dried chilli flakes, to taste

  • Sat to taste

  • Sugar to taste (I use raw sugar)

Method

    1. Soak the tamarind in about a cup of water. When the tamarind has softened, squeeze to extract the pulp. Strain the pulp. Add more water, about half cup at a time and extract all the pulp until there's only fibre and sometimes seeds remaining in the strainer, using about 3 to 5 cups of water in all. (Tip: Initial soaking in hot water will soften the tamarind more quickly).

    2. Dry roast the fennel, cumin and fenugreek seeds in a frypan over medium heat. Be careful not to brown them too much and and don't leave them sitting in the pan as they will continue to brown from the residual heat.

    3. Grind the roasted seeds, garlic, ginger and grated coconut to a paste.

    4. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. As soon as they start popping, add the curry leaves followed by the ground coconut/spice paste, turmeric and salt. Fry the spice mixture for a few minutes.

    5. Add the tamarind pulp, bring to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add sugar (start with about 1/4 cup) and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, sugar and chilli). Remove from heat once you've got the right balance (to your taste) of tangy, sweet and chilli. Don't be afraid to add more salt if needed. Sometimes it's just that extra pinch of salt that balances the taste.

Good to know

    • Dry tamarind is sold in compressed blocks.

    • It's best to use stainless steel saucepans when making acidic dishes like this tamarind chutney as some of the other metals (especially aluminium) react with the acid.

    • Tamarind, including the leftover fibrous bits, is good for cleaning copper and brass and to remove tarnish. Rub the tamarind into the copper/brassware. Let stand for a few minutes, rinse off, wash in soapy water and dry.