The 5-Ingredient Sweet-and-Sour Sauce That Has a Permanent Place In My Fridge

This homemade tamarind chutney gets its body and mellow sweetness from chewy dates and earthy palm sugar, while ground ginger and Kashmiri red chile powder add subtle spice.

By
Sohla El-Waylly
Sohla El-Waylly

Sohla El-Waylly is a culinary creator, video host, and CIA graduate whose work can be found on Serious Eats, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Food52, YouTube, and more.

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Published September 28, 2024
A wide, shallow cream-colored ceramic bowl with brown speckles of glaze on it, holding chunky tamarind chutney and a metal spoon. The bowl is placed on a copper tray and in the top left corner of the image is another similar bowl holding a different sauce.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Palm sugar and dates give this chutney body and earthy sweetness.
  • Ground ginger and Kashmiri red chile powder add savory spice and depth.
  • Steeping the tamarind briefly in warm water softens to guarantee it blends easily.

It's rare to find mint chutney without its partner in crime, sweet-and-sour tamarind chutney. Store-bought and restaurant versions are often sickly-sweet, loaded with corn syrup and sugar. Instead, my homemade chutney recipe gets its body and mellow sweetness from chewy dates and earthy palm sugar.

Tamarind can be found in many forms, from jarred concentrates to dried whole pods. Here, I've used seedless tamarind paste, which gives all the flavor of the fresh pods without any of the fuss. A quick steep in hot water softens the dates and tamarind and melts the palm sugar, readying it all to be blended into a smooth chutney.

November 2017

This recipe was originally published as a component of our Papri Chaat (Indian Street Snack With Potato, Chickpeas, and Chutneys) Recipe and is being republished here as a separate recipe to make it easier to use.

Recipe Details

The 5-Ingredient Sweet-and-Sour Sauce That Has a Permanent Place In My Fridge

Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 12 servings
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 medjool dates (40g), pitted

  • 1/3 cup (85g) tamarind paste (not concentrate)

  • 1/2 teaspoon (2g) ginger powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Kashmiri red chile powder (see note)

  • 1/3 cup (100g) palm sugar or light brown sugar

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine dates, tamarind paste, ginger powder, chile powder, sugar, and 3/4 cup (175ml) water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes to soften the tamarind paste and dates. 

    A four-image collage. The top left image shows the tamarind paste being transferred from a small white ramekin into a stainless steel pot. The top right image shows the sugar being transferred into the pot. The bottom left image shows the spices being transferred into the pot. The bottom right image shows the ingredients fully incorporated in the pot and coming to a boil.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  2. Using a blender, purée until smooth , scraping down the sides of blender jar as needed(if chutney is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time to reach desired consistency), then pass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any fibrous bits. Store in an airtight container.

    A two-image collage. The top image shows the cooked tamarind chutney being poured from a stainless steel pot into a blender. The bottom image shows the interior of the blender bowl holding the thick, blended chutney.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Special Equipment

Fine mesh strainer

Notes

Kashmiri red chile powder is mild and fruity. If you cannot find it and wish to substitute cayenne pepper, be sure to cut the amount used in the recipe by half.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The chutney can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
60Calories
0gFat
15gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 5mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g6%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 0mg2%
Potassium 74mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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