Imli Chutney

the sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce of the North Indian chaat stall: tamarind cooked down with jaggery, dates, and warm spices into a thick, glossy brown drizzle for every fried and savoury snack

Origin: India

From the journey of Tamarind.

Imli chutney, also called saunth or meethi chutney, is the sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce without which no plate of North Indian chaat is complete. Where the South Indian cook keeps the tamarind sharp and savoury, the North Indian tames it with jaggery, dates, and warm spices into something dark, thick, glossy, and mellow, sweet and sour at once, with a low warmth of ginger, cumin, and chilli beneath. It is the essential dressing of the chaat, the vast family of street snacks perfected in the bazaars of Delhi and the Mughal north: drizzled over the crisp shells of the samosa and the kachori, spooned into the hollow puffs of pani puri and over the mounds of aloo tikki, papri chaat, and dahi bhalla, its sweet-sourness is the counterpoint that pulls the whole layered play of textures together, set always beside the sharp green coriander-and-mint chutney as one of the two sauces the chaat stall cannot do without. A jar of it lives in the door of the North Indian refrigerator, ready for whenever something fried and savoury needs its dark, tangy foil.

Ingredients

  • 100 g tamarind pulp (a large ball of block tamarind)
  • 150 g jaggery, grated (or dark brown sugar)
  • 8 whole soft dates, pitted
  • 600 ml water
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin, ground
  • 1 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tbsp fresh, grated)
  • 0.5 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
  • 0.5 tsp black salt (kala namak)
  • 0.5 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

  1. Soak the tamarind in the water (warmed) for 20 minutes, then squeeze and work it with your fingers to release the pulp, and strain through a sieve, pressing hard and discarding the seeds and fibres.
  2. Put the strained tamarind liquid in a pan with the jaggery and the dates, and bring to a simmer, stirring until the jaggery dissolves.
  3. Add the ground cumin, ginger, chilli powder, black salt, and salt, and simmer gently, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dates have collapsed and the chutney has thickened to a pouring, glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
  4. For a smooth chutney, blend it and pass it through a sieve; for a rustic one, leave it as it is. Cool completely, taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, and salt, and store in a clean jar in the refrigerator.

Notes

Imli chutney keeps for two to three weeks in the refrigerator and freezes well, which is why it is made in a batch. The balance of jaggery to tamarind is a matter of taste and of region; some make it frankly sweet, others keep it sharp. A pinch of ground fennel or garam masala can be added for extra warmth. Beyond chaat, it is excellent as a dip for pakoras and samosas, brushed onto wraps and chaat-inspired sandwiches, or served alongside a cheese board in the modern manner.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
© 2026 The Gastrographer. All original research, narratives, and illustrations. All rights reserved.