Sweet Tamarind Chutney, Coconut Chutney, and Cilantro Mint Chutney - The Chutney Tricolor
Sweet Tamarind Chutney, Coconut Chutney and Cilantro Mint Chutney recipes. These three Indian chutneys are staples condiments of Indian cuisine! Super delicious and great to enhance the taste of any dish!
Ingredients
Sweet Tamarind Chutney or Imli Chutney
- 7 oz seedless tamarind or 200g about 1.5 cups
- 2 cups jaggery see notes
- Water
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder or saunth optional
Coconut Chutney
- 6 oz frozen or fresh grated coconut or 170g , if using frozen thaw before blending
- ¼ cup thick yogurt
- ½ in piece of ginger
- 2 green chilis Optional, I used thai chilis, use according to your level of desired hotness
- ¼ to ½ cup water for blending
- Salt to taste
Cilantro Mint Chutney or Green/Hari Chutney
- 1 bunch cilantro about 2 cups packed leaves and stems
- 2 sprigs mint leaves stripped, about 15-20 leaves ½ cup loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ onion cut into chunks about 3 tablespoons
- 3 - 4 green chilis I used thai chilis, use according to your level of desired hotness
- 1 lime juiced
- 4-5 ice cubed for grinding
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
Sweet Tamarind Chutney or Imli Chutney
- Take 4 cups of hot water in a pan or bowl and soak the tamarind in it for about 15- 20 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, mash the pulp into the water using your hands. Then strain it through a steel soup strainer into a sauce pan.
- If there is still “meat” on the tamarind, you can repeat the step above using 1 cup of room temperature water. Discard the tamarind fruit (and seeds, if any) and keep the strained pulp water.
- Set the sauce pan with tamarind pulp water on medium high heat. Add jaggery and let it come to a boil.
- Once boiling lower the heat and let it cook for 25-30 minutes. The chutney will reduce and thicken up.
- Turn the heat off and add the spice powders. Mix
- Cool and store in clean, air-tight containers and store in the refrigerator. See notes
- Use as desired.
Coconut chutney
- Add everything to a blender jar and blend until smooth.
- Store in the refrigerator and use within a week to 10 days. See notes for tempering option.
Cilantro mint chutney
- Add everything in a blender jar and blend until smooth.
- Store in a clean, dry, airtight container in the refrigerator and use as desired. See notes
Notes
The amount of jaggery needed will depend on its sweetness. I usually check the sweetness of the chutney mid-way through the cooking time and add more jaggery if the chutney is tasting too sour.
You can double or triple the recipe and freeze the chutney in mason jars for up to a year.
Optional tempering for coconut chutney: Sometimes I add a tadka or tempering to the coconut chutney. To make the tempering, take 1 tablespoon oil in a small saute pan, add 1 dried red chilli and 1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds along with a pinch of heeng. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the 5-6 curry leaves and turn the heat off. Add this tadka to your prepared chutney, mix and serve.
Just like the sweet tamarind chutney, this recipe can be doubled or tripled and frozen. I like freezing it in mason jars or big ice cube trays. Thaw and use just like fresh chutney.