Another super simple mom recipe. This is a basic ‘meethi chutney’ aka sweet chutney that goes with most desi snack foods. Whether it’s samosas, bhel puri (my personal fave), or even in a sandwich, this imli chutney is the perfect condiment to go with all your savoury snacks. It’s basically the ketchup of desi condiments and it is so easy to make!

You only need three to four ingredients at most. The key is the tamarind paste. You can make your own tamarind paste by boiling dried tamarind in water for about 30 minutes. Readymade tamarind paste is easy to find in my grocery stores, so that makes it a much easier and faster process to make this chutney.

I learnt how to make my own imli chutney from my mom who has never bought a store bought chutney. Ever! And to be honest nothing compares to her own homemade kind! Even if we get a different chutney when we order our desi snacks, we will toss that in favour or mom’s chutney. It is that good!

Also mom’s version is so much healthier without all the preservatives and additives! The original recipe does use a lot of sugar. It is a ‘meethi’ (sweet) chutney after all! I decided to make a keto version using monkfruit sweetner, and it tastes just the same. The only difference in the sugar free version is that it won’t thicken up as much as the stuff made with real sugar. But taste-wise, it is exactly the same.

So whether you want a sugar free or sugar full meethi imli chutney, this tamarind chutney recipe is perfect!

Print Recipe

Easy Imli Chutney (Keto, Paleo)

A quick five ingredient chutney that you can make either sugar free (for keto/paleo) or original with sugar. It's the ketchup of desi condiments!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Cooling time30

Total Time45

Course: sauce

Cuisine: pakistani

Keyword: dairy free, gluten free, keto, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup water
4 tbsp tamarind paste*
4 tbsp monk fruit sweetener (or sub for granulated white sugar for original version)
1 tbsp red chilli flakes (adjust to suit your level of spice)
pinch salt

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust to your desired sweetness and spice level. I like to add about 1 tbsp more sugar or sweetener for a sweeter chutney.
Allow to cool completely and transfer to a jar or squeeze bottle for easy saucing. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months. Note: Chutney may thicken slightly in the fridge. This is normal. Just stir it up or add a splash more water if you want to thin it out again before using.

Notes

*Make your own tamarind paste with dried imli (tamarind). Bring 1-2 tbsp of dried imli to a boil with 1 cup water. Allow to boil for 30 minutes until the water reduces by half. Strain to remove any tamarind pulp or pits. Allow to cool and you have tamarind paste. This stuff is great in chutney or add a teaspoon or so to your stir-fries for an added umami flavour!