Sweet Tamarind Chutney / Chaat Chutney

Universally, green & red go well together. Traffic lights. Flag colors. Stop and go. So how could a Green Chutney not have a red kin. This kin is Sweet Tamarind Chutney, also known as Red Chutney due to its dark red hue. Combined with Green Chutney, the duo regularly adorn most dinner tables in India - be it at the family dinner, get-togethers, parties, or restaurants. With tamarind as the base, Tamarind Chutney has a sweet and tangy flavor that leaves one smacking his or her lips at the lingering taste after one has downed the morsel that it accompanied. As popular as its green counterpart, Sweet Tamarind chutney has multiple uses - it is mixed in snacks (like Bhel Puri), poured on top of snacks to add flavor and color(like Dahi Vadas & Tikkis), or served on the side with snacks (like Samosas & Pakoras) and entrees (like Spicy Chick peas curry). Sweet Tamarind Chutney has a hassle-free preparation, with tamarind, some spices, and sugar doing the trick. One of the attributes of Tamarind Chutney is that it can be preserved in the refrigerator for 2-3 months. My recipe of Sweet Tamarind Chutney has my personal twists that I feel enhance the flavors of the chutney. Do try it, it may become once of your favorite condiments :)

SWEET TAMARIND CHUTNEY RECIPE / CHAAT CHUTNEY RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

200g Wet Tamarind, seedless   

2 cups Sugar 

Salt  to taste

½ tsp Black salt     

1 tsp Cayenne pepper (Red chilli powder)    

1½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder

2 tsp Dry ginger powder    

2½ cups water

How to make Tamarind Chutney

1. Break the tamarind into small pieces and soak it in 2 1/2 cups of warm water for half an hour. 
2. Mash the tamarind into a pulp with a masher.
3. Strain the tamarind along with its water in another bowl. To extract the pulp, keep mashing the tamarind with the back of your spoon in the strainer till the pulp stops coming out. Scrape the pulp accumulated around the sides and bottom of the outside part of the strainer & add it to the strained tamarind.
4. Place a deep pan on medium heat. Add the strained tamarind pulp. 
5. Let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat.
6. Add all the remaining ingredients to the Tamarind mixture. Mix well. Ensure there are no lumps in the mixture.
7. Cook for about 5 minutes to release the flavors of the spices into the Chutney.  Keep stirring at intervals. 
8. Adjust sugar, salt or pepper as per your taste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
9. Store in an air tight container.

TIPS:

1. Keep the chutney at a slightly thinner consistency because it thickens on cooling.
2. This Chutney can be refrigerated for two to three months. 
3. To use Tamarind Chutney as a dip, thicker consistency is ideal. To use as a topping, add water to get a thinner consistency.

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Green (Hari) Chutney

Green Chutney (aka Hari Chutney, Coriander-Mint Chutney or Cilantro-Mint Chutney) is an evergreen (pun intended!), versatile and mega-popular Indian condiment that is used in multiple ways to enhance the flavor of various appetizers, snacks and entrees. Its most popular usage is as a dipping sauce or as a condiment with many popular Indian snacks such as Stuffed Potato Bread Rolls, Gobi Pakora, Moong dal Pakora, Aloo Tikki Chaat, Matar Chaat, Papdi Chaat, Bread Pakoda etc. It is also used as a marinade for both veg (corn, paneer, tofu) & non-veg (chicken, beef) food, or as a spread for wraps and sandwiches - in short, it can pretty much be used for most cooking and dining activities.

Green Chutney has a zingy, zesty taste that comes from the its piquant ingredients - mint, lemon and hot chillies that are added to the cilantro. The spiciness levels can easily be controlled by manipulating the amount of hot chillies in the recipe. This delicious condiment tremendously amplifies the flavor of its accompanying dish. My mom always kept our refrigerator stocked with Green chutney and Tamarind chutney, and any meal felt incomplete without these chutneys. Now I am sharing this wonderful recipe with you, I hope it will enhance the flavor of all your foods too :)

GREEN CHUTNEY / HARI CHUTNEY RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup packed fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh Mint leaves
1/2 cup sliced onion
2 Serrano Green chillies or to taste; destemmed & roughly chopped
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh Lemon juice or to taste
1/4 tsp salt or to taste

How to make Hari Chutney

1. Add cilantro, mint, green chillies, onion and water into the blender. Grind to form a smooth paste.
2. Add salt, lemon juice and sugar. Mix. Adjust seasonings as per your taste. Add more water if mixture is too stiff.
3. Store it in refrigerator.

TIPS:

The chutney can last for almost a week in the refrigerator if kept well-sealed.
Add 1 chilli at a time and taste to check the chutney's hotness (as chillies can vary in heat).

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