You will find this chutney served along with samosa, vada pav or other appetizers. It is an essential part of many chaat dishes such as pani puri, dahi puri, ragda patties or my favorite dahi bhalla (dahi vada). This chutney is also popularly called meethi chutney or saunth, which means a sweet chutney. Alongside this chutney, you will always be served another delicious chutney – mint cilantro chutney or green chutney. Now making this chutney in the instant pot is even more easier, as you don’t have to watch or stir while it is cooking. The best part about this chutney is that it does not spoil for a long time. It does not take long to prepare, and stays good in the refrigerator for more than a month. There is no excuse to not have chaat anymore 😉
How to make Tamarind Date Chutney in the Instant Pot?
This chutney has just 3 main ingredients – Tamarind, Dates, Jaggery and some spices. All of these ingredients are easily available at grocery stores. I buy seedless Tamarind to save some effort. I got Medjool dates from Costco and could easily remove the seeds from them. I used ten dates in this recipe. Add the 3 ingredients in equal quantity to the instant pot, along with water. Set the instant pot to cook at high pressure porridge mode for 10 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release. After the pressure is released, I used a potato masher to mash up the chutney in the pot itself. If you like and if you are sure there are no seeds at all, then you can also use a blender to mash it up. Be sure to cool the mixture a bit if blending. I did not blend when creating this recipe. The next step is to strain the chutney. I placed a mesh strainer on a bowl and worked in batches to strain the chutney. You can use the back of a spoon or your hands to press the chutney through the strainer. This will require a bit of effort, but let me assure it is totally worth it 🙂 After straining, add in all the spices – cumin, ginger powder, red chili powder and black salt. Just mix them all well. As you can see, I kept the chutney thick (better for storage). If needed for chaat recipes, you can add water and thin it to your preferred consistency.
Variation: Can I make Tamarind Chutney without dates?
Yes! I have made chutney with only Tamarind (no dates) many times as well, and it is as delicious. Just double the amount of jaggery if you are skipping dates. So the proportion is 1 cup tamarind to 2 cups of jaggery. Otherwise the process remains the same. Enjoy this delicious chutney with samosas and other favorite appetizers. Here are other Indian dips that you might enjoy –
Mint Cilantro Chutney Hummus Peanut Chutney. Cranberry Chutney
Enjoy these with these Savory Paneer Puffs or Taro Fries.
