Imli + jaggery + roasted cumin + ginger + black salt simmered to a syrup. The sweet-sour foil under every chaat.
A Mughal-era kitchen carryover — tamarind originated in tropical Africa but reached India in antiquity (mentioned in Indian scriptures c. 1200-200 BCE); it was the Persians and Arabs who later learned of it from India, calling it tamar-i-hind, 'date of India', jaggery is older still. Today the imli-saunth chutney is the default sweet sauce of Mumbai-Delhi chaat carts; Haldiram's, founded 1937 in Bikaner, helped popularize jarred chaat condiments as the brand expanded (its Kolkata shop opened in 1958; the Nagpur operation came later, c. 1970).
K.T. Achaya's Indian Food: A Historical Companion (OUP 1994) traces saunth chutney to Lodi-era Delhi. Black salt (kala namak) is mined at the Khewra range in Punjab, Pakistan; the sulfur smell comes from greigite and pyrite traces, not added.
Mahogany-dark, viscous like cold maple syrup. Sour first, sweet behind, the cumin and black salt sulfur-funk arriving last. Drizzled cold over hot pakoras, it pulls the fried oil down and brightens the dal-fritter underneath.
Tamarind pulp soaked in hot water, strained, then simmered with jaggery to roughly 1:1 by weight until coating-spoon thick. Roasted (not raw) cumin is non-negotiable — raw cumin tastes soapy here; the toast brings the cumaldehyde-pyrazine note that defines saunth.
Variations
Delhi saunth is thicker, heavier on ginger powder; Mumbai khajur-imli adds soaked Medjool dates for body. Bengali tetuler chutney sits looser and is served warm at the end of the meal as a digestive, not a starter dip.
On the Palate
Where Tamarind Chutney sits in the Indian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
4 steps · 5 min active + 50 min waiting
- 130 min
Soak 100 g tamarind + 100 g pitted dates in 500 ml hot water 30 min.
- 25 min
Mash and strain through fine mesh; discard fibers.
Watch outPush it through fine mesh and toss the stringy fibers — one seed or husk left in turns the chutney gritty.
- 315 min
Simmer with 100 g sugar + 1 tsp roasted cumin + 1/2 tsp ginger powder + 1/2 tsp chili 15 min.
Watch outSimmer until it coats the spoon and roasted cumin only — toasting brings the warm nutty note; raw cumin turns it soapy.
- 45 min
Cool to thick syrup; jar; refrigerate up to 1 month.
