Tamarind Date Chutney Recipes

Steps:

• Place the jaggery, dates and water in a deep boiling pan for about 2 hours.
• After the dates become smooth, blend in a mixer till smooth.
• Strain and transfer to the pan again.
• Add the tamarind paste and seasoning.
• Boil till thick enough to coat the back of a spoon thinly.
• Cool again. Store in clean airtight bottles and refrigerate.
• Shelf life of about a month in the refrigerator.
• * Here, I have used tamarind paste. But in case you do not have tamarind, soak the tamarind in water and extract its paste.
• What I usually do is use dry tamarind powder which I get from Indian grocery stores.

Steps:

• Place the sugar, dates and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 7-8 minutes, until the dates are very soft.
• Stir in the tamarind.
• Very carefully, pour the ingredients into a blender, clamp the lid down tight and blend until smooth (or blend in the pot with an immersion/stick blender).
• Return the mixture to the pot and boil until thick enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon (the chutney will thicken more as it cools).
• Stir in the spices and salt.
• Taste for seasoning: the chutney should be equal parts sweet, salty and sour.
• Add more tamarind, sugar or salt if any of these needs a boost.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• For the pastry: Add the flour, salt and nigella or ajwain seeds to a medium bowl and mix. Add the ghee or oil and mix in with your fingers until the dough looks crumbly. Begin by adding 3 tablespoons of cold water, then add more water a little a time to make a stiff dough. Try to knead the dough as little as possible (think flaky pie crust). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• For the spice blend: To roast the spices, heat a small cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the whole spices: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, clove, cardamom and cinnamon and roast, shaking the skillet often, until the mixture darkens slightly and becomes toasty and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl to cool. Add the amchur powder, red chile powder and turmeric. Once cool, transfer to a grinder or mortar and pestle and grind to a medium-fine grind.
• For the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until they darken slightly, about 30 seconds Add the peanuts if using and cook until crunchy, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles and ginger and cook, stirring often, until the raw aroma of the ginger goes away, about 1 minute.
• Add the potatoes, peas, roasted spice blend and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until the peas soften and the mixture is well mixed and seasoned, about 3 minutes. Add the cilantro if using. Add salt to taste, amchur for additional tang and red chile powder for spice.
• To assemble and fry the samosas: Pour enough oil into a large Dutch oven or wide heavy-bottomed pot to come up the sides about 3 inches. Place over medium heat and heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil registers 340 degrees F.
• While the oil is heating, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (a kitchen scale is helpful here but not necessary). For smaller samosas, you can divide the dough into 8 balls. Cover all but 1 ball with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Flatten the uncovered ball into an oval patty. Lightly brush with oil and roll the patty into a thin oval (8 to 9 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide). Cut in half widthwise into 2 semicircles.
• Set a small bowl of water beside you. Working with one semicircle at a time, fold over one end of the straight edge halfway toward the rounded edge. Using a fingertip, lightly wet the outside edge with a little water as well as the inner edge of the other half of the straight side. Then fold the other half up and overlapping the wet sides, about 1/4 inch, to form a cone. Press the edges together to form a seal. Hold the cone in one hand, pinch the seam again to make sure it's sealed and fill it with 2 tablespoons of the potato filling. Make a little pleat opposite of the sealed edge by pinching it over about 1/4 inch. This is the backbone of the samosa and will help it stand. Wet the inside of the rounded edge and fold it over the filling to enclose it. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with a second dough ball and some of the filling to make 4 samosas.
• Double-check that the oil temperature is 340 degrees F (it's important for the oil to be medium hot; if it's too hot, the outside of the samosas will brown too quickly, while the inside dough will not be cooked enough and the samosas won't crisp up). Gently slip in the 4 samosas and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. If the samosas haven't browned by then, increase the temperature to 360 degrees F and cook, turning over as needed, until golden brown. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• While the samosas are frying, shape and fill 4 more samosas, then repeat until all the samosas are shaped, filled and fried. Serve immediately with Tamarind-Date Chutney.
• Stir together the seedless tamarind, date paste, jaggery, cumin powder, red chile powder, ginger powder, fennel powder, black salt, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low so the sauce is simmering. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes; when you dip a spoon into the sauce and run your finger across the back of it, it should hold a line. Taste and add more salt or jaggery if needed. Remove from the heat and strain. Allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight glass jar and refrigerate.

Steps:

• Place the cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet gently to move the seeds as they toast so they don't burn; continue until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a spice grinder, and grind to a fine powder.
• Place the dates in the bowl of a food processor; process until finely chopped. Remove and discard any seeds to make 3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate. Add concentrate, ginger, and ground cumin to food processor. Add 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water, or enough to make the mixture a spreadable consistency. Process until smooth. Add the cayenne and salt; adjust to taste.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the tamarind and 1 cup of the water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Occasionally stir with a fork to break up the pulp. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep and further soften for 5 minutes, or until the tamarind solids have expanded. When you stir the mixture, the pulp should easily combine with the water.
• Position a coarse-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour in the tamarind mixture. Using a rubber spatula or metal spoon, vigorously stir and press the solids against the mesh to force as much of the pulp through as possible. If necessary, return the pulp to the saucepan, add some of the already-strained liquid, stir to loosen up more of the pulp, and then work it through the sieve again. When the pulp is spent, discard the fibrous left overs. The resulting liquid will resemble chocolate cake batter. You should have 2/3 to 3/4 cup.
• Combine the tamarind liquid, dates, the remaining 1/3 cup water, the brown sugar, salt, and cayenne in a food processor. Process to a smooth, thick texture. Occasionally pause the machine and scrape down the sides. The ideal texture is thick enough to mound on a spoon, but you can add extra water for a thinner sauce. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cumin for a pungent finish. Taste and adjust the flavors, as necessary, especially if you thinned the chutney. Set aside for a few hours for the flavors to blend and bloom. Serve, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for a month.

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients, into a preserving pan. Warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat a little, then let the mixture boil until the Bramley apples have broken down to a pulp, but the eating apples still hold their shape. Stir occasionally to stop the chutney from sticking. This can take from 45 mins to 1 hr. You can tell that it is ready by running your wooden spoon through the mixture. Your spoon should briefly leave a channel in the mixture, and there shouldn't be liquid pooling into the space.
• Whilst the chutney cooks, sterilise your jars (see tip, below). When the chutney is ready, pot the mixture into the jars. Can be eaten within a few days, but is best left for a few weeks to mellow and mature. Will keep for at least a year.