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Tamarind Chutney starts by soaking tamarind pulp, then simmering it with gur or brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin for a concentrated sweet-sour condiment.

The soaked pulp is brought to a boil before the remaining ingredients are added. A short five-minute simmer is enough because the main extraction happens during soaking and straining.

Once cooled, the mixture is pushed through a sieve with the back of a spoon. This extracts the tamarind juice while leaving pits, threads, and fibrous pulp behind.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tamarind pulp
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup gur or brown sugar
• 2–2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method

Rinse the tamarind pulp once under running water, then soak it in the 2 cups water for 30 minutes. Transfer the pulp and soaking water to a medium pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Add the gur or brown sugar, chili powder, and cumin and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Press the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, extracting as much tamarind liquid as possible and discarding the pits, threads, and remaining pulp. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 1/2 cups.