Tamarind & Date Chutney

Tamarind and date chutney is the sweet partner to green chutney on every chaat plate. Tamarind gives it sourness, dates and jaggery give body and sweetness, and dry ginger, roasted cumin, chilli and black salt give it that tangy, savoury depth. In the north it is often called saunth, after the dry ginger, and in Gujarat khajur imli chutney. Date and lime chutney, a Sri Lankan style, follows the same sweet and sour idea with lime in place of tamarind. It sits within chutneys.

Drizzle it over papdi chaat, dahi vada, aloo tikki, bhel puri and samosa chaat, or serve it with pakoras, kachori and dhokla. A little also goes into pani puri water for a sweeter version, and a spoon brightens a chickpea curry or dal. The Sri Lankan date and lime style is served with biryani and lamprais.

Jarred chutney is usually thicker than homemade, so loosen it with a little warm water for drizzling. Keep it in the fridge once opened. To build a full chaat at home, add crisp papdi and the puris and pani from pani puri, and for a milder sweet jar, try mango chutney.