Instant Pot Dates Tamarind Chutney

A sweet and sour Indian condiment, Dates Tamarind Chutney is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

It is really simple to make in the Instant Pot and works well for all kinds of chaats and as a side for snacks.

Chutneys are such a central part of Indian cuisine. Served as part of a meal, with snacks, appetizers or used in chaats; these chutneys find application in almost every meal.

There are chutneys that are specific to the part they originate in. From the South Indian style Coconut Chutney and Tomato Chutney to the North Indian Cilantro Chutney and this spicy Gujarati Garlic Chutney. These are popular all over the world now and used extensively in so many recipes.

And when it comes to Thalis; the popular way of enjoying Indian meals; chutneys are definitely central to it. For those unfamiliar, thali is a large plate of food often served as a complete meal. It has dal, pulses, vegetables, curries, rice, flat bread, salad, chutney and salad. And colorful chutneys are an important part of this.

Jump to:

• What is a Chutney
• About Dates Tamarind Chutney
• Using Tamarind
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Storage
• Making this on the stovetop
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Recipe FAQs
• Recipes to use this Chutney
• More Chutneys to try
• Instant Pot Dates Tamarind Chutney

What is a Chutney

A chutney is a spread from India. It is widely popular in the country and in Indian cuisine across the globe.

These are often made from scratch, partially homemade or completely bought from the store. Often a mix of these do work well in so many recipes.

Cilantro chutney is the uncrowned hero of Indian cuisine. Sweet Dates Tamarind Chutney follows it up closely. These are the pillars of Indian chaat. Plus, used as a dipping sauce for appetizers and snacks.

About Dates Tamarind Chutney

As the name suggests; this chutney is made with two prime ingredients; dates and tamarind. Along with these we use jaggery and some spices to make the chutney flavorful.

If you have had any kind of chaat, you would have definitely come across this brown colored sweet and sour chutney. This is a close cousin of the other popular Indian chutneys. Imli ki Chutney is made primarily with tamarind and Sonth is a popular sweet chutney flavored with dry ginger powder.

Dates and Tamarind Chutney uses a lot of dates for sweetness and far less tamarind for sour taste. It is more sweet than sour unlike the other two variants.

Using Tamarind

Tamarind is the english name for Imli in Hindi. It is an extensively used souring agent. Grown on tall trees, these come as pods with skin and seeds. We shell the pods, discard the seeds and use the flesh.

And like all other ingredients; not all tamarind are same. There is a variant called Thai Tamarind; which is not very sour but rather sweet. We definitely do not want to use this for the recipe. Instead we use either Indian tamarind that comes as a block which needs to be soaked in water before use or tamarind extract; a thick paste of tamarind that can be used.

Moreover, there are certain theories and reservations against using tamarind in cooking. It does have a peculiar sour taste but we can certainly use amchur (dry mango powder) or lemon juice instead. The taste does vary but if that is better for the overall health, do opt for these instead.

Why this recipe works

• It is naturally Vegan.
• This recipe is super easy to put together in the instant pot.
• With just about 15 minutes of active time, this is one of the quickest chutney recipes.
• This chutney works well in all kinds of chaats.
• Moreover, it can be served with a lot of snacks.
• The recipe is gluten-free.
• We do not use any sugar to sweeten the chutney.
• It is easy to store it in the refrigerator or freeze for longer time.
• A great condiment to have ready to make any kind of chaat in minutes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Dates: Dates are the base for this chutney. Choose dates that are moist and not super dry. The quality of dates will determine how smooth the chutney is. Regular or Medjool dates work for this recipe.
• Jaggery: Another key ingredient in the recipe is jaggery. This imparts sweetness to the chutney and flavor. I use Kolhapuri Jaggery for this recipe. Using jaggery powder does not work well here as it does not turn creamy on cooking.
• Tamarind: This sweet chutney needs something sour added to it. Tamarind is generally used in the recipe. It imparts a great sour taste and flavor to the chutney. In case there is an allergy or it is unavailable, substitute with lemon juice or amchur powder.
• Rock Salt: While the chutney is sweet and sour, adding a little bit of salt helps elevate the taste so well. I always add some to the chutney. 
• Spices: Addition of spices to the chutney is absolutely optional but it makes the chutney great. Red Chili Powder, Dhania Jeera Powder, Aamchur powder and Ground Cumin are the ingredients I add. This is especially good when serving this as a side for snacks.
• Optional ingredients: Dry ginger powder, black pepper and Turmeric Powder are great to add to the chutney. Add them or leave them out.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Wash and chop 2 cups pitted dates into pieces and chop 1 cup jaggery into bits. Add these to a heat safe bowl.

2- Also soak ½ cup pitted tamarind in ½ cup water and set aside.

Pro Tip: Tamarind tends to react with metals and other elements. So I like to soak it in a glass bowl rather than a metal bowl.

3- In the base of the instant pot add 1 cup water. Then place a trivet and the bowl with dates and jaggery. Add ½ cup water and cover with a plate.

4- Set mode to pressure cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Once the pressure releases naturally, open the instant pot, remove the bowl and let the mixture cool.

5- Add the seasonings to the mix.

• 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1½ teaspoon Aamchur powder
• ½ teaspoon Rock Salt
• ½ teaspoon Dhania Jeera Powder 

6- Meanwhile, press the tamarind between your palms and remove the flesh. Strain the mix to remove the seeds and peels.

7- Then add the tamarind to the bowl with the remaining ingredients.

8- Blend to a smooth mixture and transfer the chutney to an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator. 

Storage

I like to store the chutney in its thick form. When there isn't a lot of water in it, the chutney does not freeze solid. It can easily be scooped directly from its frozen form.

Then, based on application, the chutney is easy to thin out by adding some water and mixing. Often times we also need to add some salt or tamarind if we thin out the chutney to a great extent. So balance that based on taste.

This Dates Tamarind Chutney stays well in the refrigerator for up to a week. To store further, transfer to freezer safe jars and freeze for up to 6 months.

Making this on the stovetop

The same chutney can also be made using a pressure cooker. To do so, simply add the jaggery, dates and water to a pressure cook container and place on a trivet in the pressure cooker.

Then pressure cook for 5 whistles and let it cool completely. Then open the pressure cooker and proceed as described.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Most dates labelled as seedless often have a few stray pieces of seeds. Make sure they are removed before using the dates.
• Strain the tamarind soaked water before using to remove all the bits of peel and seeds.
• Cook the dates and jaggery till the skin of the dates is cooked. Else it will not process to a smooth mix.
• Use a high speed blender to get a smooth chutney. Because a small blender often leaves it grainy and not turn it into a smooth paste.
• The color of the chutney will depend on the dates and jaggery. If these are light in color, the chutney will be pale and using darker ingredients give us a wonderful deep colored chutney.

Recipe FAQs

Recipes to use this Chutney

More Chutneys to try