Tamarind & Date Chutney / Khajoor Imli ki chutney made in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. This chutney is both sweet and tangy at the time, prepared with tamarind, dates and jaggery as the main ingredients.
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 –
Enjoy these with these Savory Paneer Puffs or Taro Fries.
Tamarind Date Chutney Recipe – Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup Tamarind (Imli), seedless
- 1 cup Dates, pitted (~10 if using Medjool dates)
- 1 cup Jaggery, powdered
- 2 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili powder (Mirchi powder), adjust to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Black salt (Kala namak), or Salt
Instructions
- Add tamarind, dates, jaggery and water to the instant pot. Close lid with vent in sealing position.
- Set the instant pot to porridge mode at high pressure for 10 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
- Stir well and mash using a masher. You can also blend if the tamarind is completely seedless.
- Place a mesh strainer over a bowl. Work in batches to stain the tamarind date pulp. Press with the back of a spoon or with clean hands (if it is cool enough to handle).
- Add the ginger, cumin, red chili powder and black salt to the strained chutney. Stir it well.
- Transfer chutney to a clean glass air tight jar and store in the refrigerator. This chutney stays well in refrigerator for up to a month.
Notes
- Variation: You can make this chutney with tamarind only, and skip dates. Just double the amount of jaggery, so the proportion is 1 cup tamarind to 2 cups of jaggery. Otherwise the process remains the same.
- This chutney stores well in the refrigerator for a month.
Can I use tamarind past or jelly
Hi Jimmy – Tamarind paste would work. However, as the paste is much more concentrated, you will need less quantity, about 1/4 cup, for this recipe keeping the other ingredient amounts the same. Reduce water to 1 cup too.
Also, you don’t need to cook the tamarind paste much as the paste is already pre-cooked. I would suggest adding dates, jaggery, and water to the instant pot. Pressure cook for 5 minutes. Then add the tamarind paste, and follow the next steps. Straining would not be required. Taste and adjust any spices. I hope you enjoy it!
I do not have an instant pot. So, I long would I cook the dates and (raw) tamarind, plus jaggery for? Do I add water in the pot? Thank you
Hi Helen – Sure, soak the tamarind and dates in water for 30 minutes. Then cook them together with the jaggery in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. You might need an additional 1 cup of water on the stovetop. Then follow the steps to mash and strain. Hope you enjoy the chutney!
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! Can I make this without the added jaggery/sugar by just increasing the number of dates? Thanks!
Hi Munira – Sure, you can increase the amount of dates and skip the sugar/jaggery.
Trying to reduce carbs in my favorite foods, do you think a stevia or pure cane sugar substitute would work?
Hi Elizabeth – I have not tried but you can use sugar substitutes to make this chutney.
Hi there! I only have tamarind concentrate. Can I use that? And if so, how much?
Thank you!
Sriya
Hi Sriya – I have not tried this chutney with tamarind concentrate, but think that about 1/2 cup concentrate would work in place of 1 cup tamarind.
Awesome recipe, thanks! (: Is it ok to substitute the jaggery with date sugar?
Hi Jess – Yes, adding another sweetener such as date sugar will work too. Hope you enjoy it!
How long can you freeze this for ?
Hey Ro – It will easily stay for 3 months in the freezer. Put in small containers, so you can use as much needed at a time.
Hi. I’m the question lady. Loving your recipes, although I confess I’ve saved em, but not actually tried them yet. (new IP) What if I didn’t strain this chutney? (lazy)
Hi. I’m the question lady. What if I didn’t strain it?
Hey Elyse – Questions are great 🙂 We usually use this chutney for chaat’s, where a little thinner consistency is preferred and straining makes it smooth and I add water when using (if needed). Another reason for straining is that the tamarind I get from the indian grocery store is 95% seedless, if it is completely seedless then it would be okay to not strain it. You could also use an immersion blender right in the instant pot after cooking, to give it a smooth texture. Hope that helps!
Sorry I thought I hadn’t posted , and I just did it again – so read and delete 😉
No worries. I hope you enjoy the chutney 🙂