(Updated on March 07, 2023)

Khatti Meethi Chutney, also known as Imli ki Khatti Meethi Chutney, is a flavourful Indian staple condiment and dipping sauce. It is fuss-free and easy to make at home, gets ready within 10 minutes, and tastes better than store-bought variants.

This instant Khatti Meethi Chutney brings together spicy, tangy, sour, and sweet flavours and has a mouth-watering taste and aroma. The tartness and sourness of tamarind are balanced by the sweetness of jaggery, with a mild kick of heat added by the ginger powder and other spices. 

It is the perfect chutney to savour with your homemade snacks, appetizers, and chaat items. And with Zilli’s Cold Pressed Spices, you do not have to spend hours soaking, boiling, and straining tamarind. It is instant, easy, irresistible, and super delicious!

Learn how to make Imli ki Khatti Meethi Chutney at home:

Preparation Time: 0 minutes.

Cooking Time: 10 minutes.

Serves: 4 people.

Course: Side Dish.

Cuisine: Indian.

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup or 30g Zilli's Tamarind Powder.
• 1 tsp Zilli's Ginger Powder.
• 200g jaggery.
• 1 cup or 250 ml water.
• 2 dry dates (soaked in water for 2 to 3 hrs and chopped).
• ½ tsp salt.
• ½ tsp black salt.
• 1 tsp cumin powder.
• 1 tsp red chilli powder.
• ½ tsp garam masala.
• ½ tsp oil.
• ¼ tsp kalonji (nigella seeds).
• ¼ tsp melon seeds (optional).
• A pinch of Hing (asafoetida).

How to Make Khatti Meethi Chutney:

Preparing the Tamarind Chutney Base:

1. Take a bowl. Add tamarind powder and water.
2. Mix well till there are no lumps left.
3. Add salt, black salt, cumin powder, ginger powder, red chilli powder, and garam masala to the bowl.
4. Mix till lump-free and well combined. Your chutney base is ready. Keep it aside.

Making Imli ki Khatti Meethi Chutney:

1. Heat oil in a pan or a kadhai.
2. Add kalonji (nigella seeds) and hing (asafoetida). Sauté them over a low-to-medium flame. 
3. Add the chutney base to it and mix well.
4. Cook the mixture over medium-to-high flame while stirring it. Let it come to a boil.
5. Add the jaggery and continue to stir it till the jaggery gets dissolved. Simmer till the chutney thickens.
6. Once the imli khatti meethi chutney has reached the desired consistency, you can turn off the flame.
7. Add the soaked and chopped dates and the melon seeds. Give a quick mix.
8. Let the chutney cool down (optional). It may thicken further as it cools.

Your Khatti Meethi Chutney is ready to be served!

Tips and Variations for Khatti Meethi Chutney: 

Stir the mixture well to avoid jaggery from sticking at the bottom.

It is recommended to break jaggery into small pieces before adding it to the pan to speed up the melting process.

Do not overcook, as the chutney will get even thicker as it cools. 

You can alter the chutney consistency by adding less or more water.

Use fresh tamarind for a brighter colour and better taste. Old turmeric turns dark over time and may affect the colour and flavour of the chutney.

Store this imli ki khatti meethi chutney in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator.

Variations for Khatti Meethi Chutney:

• Gluten-Free: Skip the hing if you want to make the chutney gluten-free.

• Tomato Khatti Meethi Chutney: Use Zilli’s Dry Tomato Powder in place of tamarind powder to make a sweet and tangy Tomato Khatti Meethi Chutney.
• Khatti Meethi Mango Chutney: Replace the tamarind powder with Zilli’s Amchur Powder to make aam ki khatti meethi chutney. The dry mango powder will add a refreshing sourness to the chutney.
• Amla Khatti Meethi Chutney: Wondering how to make amla khatti meethi chutney? Take 10-12 chopped and deseeded amla and boil them in water until soft. Once softened and cooled, blend into a paste. Add the amla paste to the pan with jaggery, spices, and a little water. Simmer till thickened and serve!

• Tamarind Water for Pani Puri: You can use this to make tamarind chutney for pani puri too. Make a base using coriander, mint leaves, green chillies, Zilli’s Ginger Powder, and water. Mix the base with Tamarind Chutney. Thin it down with 3-4 cups of cold water. Your pani puri ki khatti meethi chutney is ready!

Serving Ideas: 

This Khatti Meethi Chutney is incredibly versatile and pairs wonderfully with a variety of Indian snacks.

You can serve this chutney as a dipping sauce for Samosas, Pakoras, Kachori, Aloo Tikkis, Dhokla, Vada, Mirchi Vada, Potato Wedges, etc.