Tamarind Chutney Recipe (Imli Chutney)

Tamarind Chutney, also known as Imli Chutney, is a sweet and tangy Indian condiment made from tamarind pulp, jaggery, and aromatic spices. Chutneys are often paired with snacks and Indian food, and this tamarind sauce is the perfect dip for samosas, pakoras, and chaat recipes. Learn how to make tamarind chutney (imli chutney) at home with this easy, step-by-step recipe instructions. Enjoy this chutney with festive meals or use it to elevate everyday snacks with its perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.

Ingredients with Substitutes

• Tamarind – I usually use 1 cup seedless tamarind for ease, and soak it in warm water to extract the thick, tangy pulp. If you’re short on time, you can use ready-made tamarind paste as a quicker alternative.
• Water – To soak the tamarind and help extract its pulp, you might need a bit more or less depending on how thick you want the chutney. I also add this gradually while simmering the chutney to get the perfect consistency.
• Jaggery – I love using jaggery for its deep, earthy sweetness, 1½ to 2 cups jaggery is good but if you don’t have it, you can also use brown sugar or a mix of sugar and molasses.
• Sugar – This helps to balance out the tartness of the tamarind and jaggery; I use ½ cup sugar, you can adjust it based on your preference or even skip it if your jaggery is very sweet.
• Oil – I heat this oil to temper the whole spices before adding them to the chutney base; any neutral oil like sunflower or canola works fine.
• Cumin Seeds – I always begin the tempering with cumin for its warm and earthy aroma that forms the base of the flavor. It adds extra layer of nuttiness, you can also use ground cumin if that’s easier.
• Asafoetida – Just a little bit of Hing goes a long way in adding that deep, slightly pungent, savory depth that’s essential in Indian chutneys.
• Black Peppercorns – I prefer to crush these coarsely before adding, as they add a gentle heat and complexity.
• Fennel Seeds – This gives the chutney a subtle sweet and refreshing aftertaste that I personally enjoy a lot.
• Dry Ginger Powder – This gives a lovely warmth and also helps with digestion; if you don’t have it, you could grate some fresh ginger and cook it down a bit.
• Black Salt – I like to include this for its distinct savory flavor and digestive benefits, but if you don’t have it, regular salt will do.
• Red Chili Powder – For a mild kick of heat; feel free to increase or decrease based on your spice tolerance.
• Melon Seeds (magaz) – Melon seeds in chutney is optional, but I add it occasionally for richness and a slightly creamy texture.

How to make Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney) Step-by-Step Photos

Soak Tamarind

1. In a bowl, add 1 cup tamarind (either seedless or with seeds) and 2 cups water. Let it soak for about 4 hours or until the tamarind turns soft and pulpy. Soaking helps extract the rich, tangy flavor essential to traditional Indian tamarind chutney, also known as imli chutney.

2. After soaking for a few hours, the tamarind becomes completely soft and perfect for extracting a thick and smooth pulp for making imli chutney.

Extract Tamarind Pulp

3. Place a fine sieve or strainer over a clean bowl. Pour the soaked tamarind mixture into the sieve and use the back of a spoon to press and extract the pulp. You can discard seeds or hard lumps.

4. You should get about 3/4 cup of tamarind extract, perfect for making authentic Indian tamarind sauce.

Roast Spices

5. Heat a dry pan over medium heat and add the following spices:

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Dry roast the spices for about 2 minutes until aromatic and grind the roasted spices into a fine powder. This freshly ground spice mix adds depth and gives imli chutney its classic Indian flavor.

Make Jaggery Syrup

6. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.

7. Add 1.5 to 2 cups of chopped or powdered jaggery to the pan to add sweetness in chutney. Pour in 1 cup water, stir, and simmer for about 5 minutes until the jaggery fully melts into a a thick syrupy consistency. The jaggery in pan will turn into a thick brown syrup after cooking, the perfect base for spicy tamarind chutney.

8. Once the jaggery dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy, add 1/2 cup sugar and stir well. Simmer for another 2 minutes until it starts to bubble and slightly thicken.

9. Add the 3/4 cup tamarind paste that you extracted earlier. Mix it with the jaggery-sugar syrup thoroughly to create a balanced blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors.

10. Add the ground spice powder and 1 teaspoon of dry ginger powder to the chutney. This step adds depth and warmth to the chutney.

11. Add 1 teaspoon black salt and ½ teaspoon red chili powder and mix all the spices well. These spices will give your chutney the classic flavor of a tangy Indian dip.

12. Simmer the chutney on low heat for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend and the texture to thicken.

Cook the Chutney & Serve

13. If using, add 1/2 teaspoon melon seeds and cook for another 2 minutes until they soften slightly. This adds a rich nutty note and subtle texture.

14. Let the chutney cool, then serve it with popular Indian snacks like samosas, pakoras, bhel puri, chaat or any of your favorite appetizers. Store the chutney in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Serving & Storage Suggestions for Tamarind Chutney

• Serve this flavorful Tamarind Chutney as a classic samosa dip, or drizzle it over chaat dishes like aloo tikki, dahi puri, papdi chaat.
• It also pairs with many Indian appetizers, eat chutney with pakoras, kachori, bread rolls, and other Indian street food snacks. Use it as a tangy layer in sandwiches, wraps.
• You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy this homemade tamarind chutney for up to 2–3 weeks.

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