No chaat is complete without a generous drizzle of three timeless chutneys: Tamarind, Dates, and Mint-Coriander. In this post, I am sharing my go-to recipes for the essential trio of chaat chutneys. They are easy to make, full of bold flavours, and perfect for Indian street food.
These are my go-to, tried-and-tested recipes for these three classic chutneys. They are the essential trio of chutneys-easy to make, flavourful, and can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer for instant chaat cravings.
These chutneys are bursting with flavours, pairing well with making Bhel Puri, Dahi Bhalla, Sev Puri, or Samosa Chaat addictive. Traditionally, we use green chutney and date-tamarind chutney, but we prefer to make Date Chutney and Tamarind Chutney separately. The sweet, tangy, spicy, fresh flavours make Indian street food unforgettable.
Ingredients for Chaat Chutney
Ingredients for Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney)
- Tamarind seedless or pulp
- Jaggery
- Water
- Roasted cumin
- Roasted coriander seed
- Red chilli powder
- Dry ginger powder or saunth (optional)
- Black salt
- Salt
Ingredients for Sweet Dates Chutney (Khajur Chutney)
- Dates use seedless ones
- Garlic
- Water
- Roasted cumin
- Roasted coriander seed
- Black salt
- Red chilli powder
Ingredients for Mint-Coriander Chutney (Hari Chutney)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh coriander leaves
- Green chillies
- Lemon juice
- Cumin seeds
- Salt
- Water
How to make Chaat Chutney Trio
How to make Imli and Khajur Chutney:
- Add the tamarind, water, roasted cumin, and coriander seed to a stainless steel pan.
- Add the dates, water, garlic, roasted cumin, and coriander seed to another stainless steel pan.
- Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles, let the pressure drop naturally, then open the cooker.
- Combine the dates, water, garlic, roasted cumin, coriander seed, red chilli powder, and salt in the mixer/grinder.
- Add spices and simmer for 5-7 minutes until it thickens. Cool
- Cool and blend the tamarind, water, roasted cumin and coriander seed.
- Add jaggery, red chilli powder, and dry ginger powder if using and simmer for 5-7 minutes until it thickens.
- Cool both sauces completely and store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
How to make Mint-Coriander Chutney
- Rinse, roughly chop mint and coriander, and blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Use immediately. You can freeze it.
Tips for Storing and Using Chutneys:
- Refrigeration: Store chutneys in clean, dry jars. Always use a dry spoon to scoop.
- Freezing: Freeze in silicone moulds or ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag.
- Quick Use: Mix tamarind and dates chutney for a balanced sweet-tangy flavour. Great for pani puri or aloo tikki!
Use These Chutneys With
- Pani Puri
- Aloo Tikki
- Dahi Vada / Dahi Bhalla
- Samosa Chaat
- Sev Puri
- Bhel Puri
- Moong Dal Chilla
- Pakoras and Bhajiyas
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 2 Pans
- 3 Bottles
Ingredients
Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney): Tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet, this chutney is the backbone of many Indian snacks.
- ½ cup Tamarind seedless or pulp
- ½ cup Jaggery adjust to taste
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder roasted
- ½ teaspoon Coriander seed powder or saunth
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder or suanthi powder, optional
Sweet Dates Chutney (Khajur Chutney): This chutney pairs beautifully with tamarind or can be used on its own for a milder, sweeter flavour.
- 1 cup Dates use seedless ones
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups Water
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder roasted
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds powder roasted
- ½ teaspoon black salt
Mint-Coriander Chutney (Hari Chutney): Fresh, green, and spicy, this chutney adds that irresistible burst of freshness to any chaat.
- 1 cup mint leaves fresh
- 1 cup Coriander leaves fresh
- 2 Green chillies adjust to taste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
Instructions
How to make Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney)
- Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles the tamarind, water, roasted cumin and coriander seed. (½ cup Tamarind,2 cups Water,1 teaspoon cumin powder,½ teaspoon Coriander seed powder)
- Let the pressure drop naturally, then open the cooker.
- Cool and blend the tamarind, water, roasted cumin and coriander seed.
- Strain to remove fibre and seeds.
- Add jaggery, red chilli powder, black salt, salt and dry ginger powder (if using) and simmer for 5-7 minutes until it thickens. (½ cup Jaggery, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon black salt,Salt, ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder)
- Cool both sauces completely and store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
How to make Sweet Dates Chutney (Khajur Chutney):
- Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles dates, water, garlic, roasted cumin seeds and roasted coriander seeds, and black salt. (1 cup Dates, 2 cups Water, 2 garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin powder,½ teaspoon coriander seeds powder½ teaspoon black salt).
- Let the pressure drop naturally, then open the cooker.
- Cool and remove the seeds if not seedless, and blend and strain.
- Simmer for 5-7 minutes until it thickens.
- Cool both sauces completely and store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.Or freeze it.
How to make Mint-Coriander Chutney (Hari Chutney):
- Rinse and roughly chop mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic, lemon juice, cumin seeds and salt. (1 cup mint leaves, 1 cup Coriander leaves, 2 Green chillies, 2 garlic, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice,½ teaspoon cumin seeds,Salt).
- Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add water gradually to reach your preferred consistency.(Water)
- Use immediately or store in the fridge for 3-4 days. For a longer shelf life, it can be frozen in cubes.
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