Date and Tamarind Chutney (Sri Lankan)
Prep 15 min Total 45 min
Date and Tamarind Chutney (Sri Lankan) - kvalifood.com
A sweet-sour preserve of dates and tamarind with warm spices and vinegar, common in Sri Lankan Tamil cuisine. The Sri Lankan version is distinct from North Indian imli chutney – it uses vinegar as a cooking medium and features whole warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves).
Makes ca. 300 g
Ingredients
- 100 g dates, pitted and finely chopped
- 50 g tamarind pulp (or 2 tbsp tamarind paste)
- 100 g sugar
- 250 ml vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, ground
- 2 slices fresh ginger, ground
- 1 tsp mustard seeds, ground
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 25 g sultanas (or raisins)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
If using whole tamarind, soak in a little warm water, mash, and strain to get a thick pulp. Discard fibers and seeds.
Grind garlic, ginger, and mustard seeds into a paste. Crush the cardamom and cloves.
Dissolve sugar in vinegar over medium heat. Add the dates, tamarind pulp, garlic-ginger-mustard paste, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and chili powder.
Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the dates are soft but still have some texture, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the sultanas and cook 2 more minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Add salt. Let cool completely before bottling.
Notes
Keeps refrigerated for several weeks due to the vinegar and sugar.
Serve alongside vadai, short eats, samosas, or rice and curry.
Adjust the sugar-to-tamarind ratio to taste – the chutney should be both sweet and noticeably sour.
See Also
Mango Chutney (Indian Style)
