Sweet Tamarind sauce - Imli ki chutney

Cannot imagine chaats without Imli ki chutney and when you have this chutney ready, chaats can be made in no-time at any short notice demands from your little-ones.
Other than chaats it is an excellent accompaniment as a dip for any kind of pakoda, chips, cutlets, boiled potatoes etc....

One day I just mixed 1 tbsp of this sauce in chilled water, added some more salt and cumin powder and gave it my daughter, Since then its her favorite drink.






This recipe can be stored at room temperature for more than a year.

250 g tamarind
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp rock salt
1 tsp plain salt
2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp kalonji
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup pitted and sliced dates
handful of broken cashew nuts and raisins(optional)

1.  Soak the tamarind for about 30 min-1 hr in enough warm water. Mash the tamarind and strain to extract the pulp. 
2. Add some more water to the tamarind , mash and strain. Repeat this process until all the pulp is extracted from the tamarind. This will give you near about 1 1/2 litre of tamarind extract.
3. Now add sugar and switch on the gas. Stir on medium flame until all the sugar dissolves in it.
4. Simmer for about 10-15 min. Keep a check on its consistency, it should be less than 1 thread consistency. It doesn't matter even if it looks a little watery, when cool it will turn thick and saucy.
5.  Add Remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil.
6. Cool and store in sterilized bottles. 

Ridge-gourd peels chutney

These days the dishes made out of peels are replacing my vegetable curries and I feel proud of myself for minimizing food wastage in this era of high inflation & food shortage.
The credit for this recipe actually goes to my bhabhi, who taught me this recipe & inspired me to make best out of waste.
Wash The ridge gourds (turai) thoroughly before peeling them. If you do not want to cook the vegetable & peels chutney on the same day then you can preserve the peels in an air-tight box or zipper bag for atleast two days.

Peels of 3 medium sized ridge gourd
4 flakes garlic
2 green chillies
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1" piece of coconut
1/2 tsp tamarid paste(optional)
salt to taste

Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
Add the garlic pods, green chilli broken into 2 to 3 pieces and the peels. Saute until the peels are cooked  and soft for about 5 to 6 min.
Remove from the fire and put all the ingredients into a blender & grind into a smooth chutney.
Taste and check for the seasonings. Its a very spicy chutney for all those spice lovers!
If the green chillies are not hot enough you can even add 1/2 tsp of ground pepper to it.
Serve with hot steamed rice.

Soya-Vinegar sauce

3 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

1 garlic finely chopped

1 tsp seasame seeds

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients. Add very little salt as soya sauce already has a salty taste. Adjust sugar according to your taste buds.

Serve with vegetable rostis, sandwiches or pakoras