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4.5 from 6 votes

Imli Sauce: Sweet And Spicy Tamarind Date Chutney

Imli sauce literally means tamarind sauce. It’s the sweet tamarind chutney. And it has a flavour combination of tangy, sweet and spicy spices aroma that makes the sauce unique.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 1 jar = 30 servings
Calories: 1600 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Indonesian

Ingredients

  • 7.05 ounces gr/ 7.05 oz/ 44 lbs tamarind block.
  • 1 ¼ cup water.
  • 3.53 ounces pitted dates see the note if you are not using dates.
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder.
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the tamarind block in a saucepan and add in 1 cup of water (240 ml). Cook it at medium heat until the water boils, then turn the heat down to simmer. Using a spoon, try to break the tamarind to help it soften quicker. Mash it as it is cooking.
  2. Turn the heat off once the tamarind is completely softened, and you get a very thick tamarind sauce. Now, sieve the sauce and discard the tamarind seeds and any other pulp leaving the sauce smooth. 
  3. Chop the dates and place them in another saucepan together with ¼ cup of water (60ml). Cook it until the fruits soften. 
  4. Using a handheld blender stick, a blender or a food processor, whizz the date mixture until it turns smooth. If you like, you can mash the mixture with a big spoon instead and sieve it through to get a smooth mixture. 
  5. Place the tamarind and date mixture in a clean saucepan. Add in the ground cumin, red chilli powder, ground ginger and salt. Give it a good stir and cook it until it reaches boiling point. Here, you can add more water if you prefer your sauce to be runny. Just make sure you check the taste and adjust the salt accordingly. 

Notes

  • You can substitute the dates with sugar. The best choice is coconut palm sugar (jaggery). But soft brown sugar or muscovado sugar are good enough.
  • This recipe yields a dipping sauce consistency. If you want a runnier consistency, you can add more water according to your liking.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 1600kcal (80%) Carbohydrates 418g (139%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Sodium 260mg (11%) Fiber 34g (136%) Sugar 260g (520%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1jar = 30 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1600

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 1600kcal 80%
Carbohydrates 418g 139%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Sodium 260mg 11%
Fiber 34g 136%
Sugar 260g 520%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.