Ingredients

1. Dry Tamarind – 100 gms
2. Water – 5 cups (200 ml, each cup)
3. Sugar – 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups
4. Green chillies (chopped) – 2
5. Chaat masala – 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
6. Black salt – 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
7. Coriander leaves (chopped) – 1 tbsp

Special roasted spice mixture

8. Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
9. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
10. Dry chillies – 2

Method

Roasting spice for chaat

1. Take a pan (tava) add all the ingredients and roast on low flame, till smoke and aroma comes from the spices.
2. The colour of spices should be lightly changed, as we don’t want to burn them.
3. Coarsely crush in a pestle mortal or spice grinder.
4. This spice mixture is sprinkled on top of sweet chutney, while making chaats like dahi bhalla, dahi papdi chaat, sev or puri chaat.
5. It gives extra taste and flavour.
6. I sometimes add few pepper seeds also while roasting.

Extracting tamarind water

7. Soak tamarind in hot water (2cups) for 30min.
8. Take the pulp (tamarind juice) from the tamarind by squeezing nicely in water.
9. Strain the tamarind water with the help of your hand and keep aside.
10. Pour some water again (1/2cup) in the left over tamarind and squeeze it again and strain.
11. Now take the tamarind water which was extracted and strain it properly in a strainer.
12. I have used 3 cups of tamarind water for my sweet tamarind chutney and remaining kept it in the fridge.
13. The tamarind water is very sour but thin not thick pulp I have used while cooking.

Cooking tamarind chutney

14. Take a vessel add tamarind water (3 cups), start boiling, add sugar and mix well.
15. Boil on medium heat slowly, till the sugar melts (stir in between), it will take 15 to 20 mins.
16. In between can simmer the flame, don’t close the lid.
17. Scratch the corner sides of the vessel as sugar gets melted and becomes sticky.
18. The tamarind water becomes thicker, shiny, glossy, and sticky and changes to darker colour after few minutes.
19. Add green chillies, chaat masala, and black salt, coriander leaves simmer the flame and cook for 5 to 8 mins.
20. Switch off, let it cool.
21. While serving any chaat dish can add a pinch of roasted spice on top of tamarind chutney or can avoid it.

Notes

1. Keep stirring in between, this sweet chutney has to be neither thick nor thin.
2. You can freeze the chutney in a box or in the ice cubes tray.
3. Always taste and see the sweet chutney, if more sugar is needed or not.
4. Add green chillies as per your taste.
5. Remaining tamarind can be used for curries or chutneys.
6. Switch of as soon as you get the right consistency.
7. If the chutney becomes thick add warm water and make it as per your consistency.