Chutneys and sauces
Practical Action
Tamarind chutney
Tamarind chutney is a sour, spicy pickle that is eaten as an accompaniment to curries and other
main meals. It is a mixture of tamarind and spices with a layer of oil on the surface. The product
will store well for several months.
Ingredients
Tamarind 1kg
Sugar 1kg
Spices (per kg pulp):
Coriander 40g
Cumin 50g
Black cumin 30g
Cloves 3-4 pieces
Cardamom 3-4 pods
Cinnamon 3-4 pieces
Chillies 10-12
Salt 30g
Vegetable oil 250ml
Caraway seeds 15g
Pepper 30g
Process details
Select fresh mature but unripe tamarind fruits. Discard fruits that are ripe, over-ripe,
infected or damaged. Rinse well in clean water. Crack the pods by hand and separate
the pulp from the broken shells.
Peel and remove the fibres, shell pieces and seeds from the pulp. For dried tamarind,
soak the fruit in water for up to 12 hours until the fruit has softened. Remove the stones
and fibres and drain off the excess water.
Add sugar to the pulp (1kg sugar per kg pulp)
Heat the pulp and sugar. Stir continuously to prevent it burning at the base of the pan.
Dry roast the individual spices and grind. Mix with the oil and salt to make a paste.
Add the spice paste to the thick tamarind pulp. Mix thoroughly and continue to heat for
20 minutes.
Pour the hot pickle into pre-sterilised jars and seal. Cool to room temperature, and
label.
Tomato sauce
Ingredients:
Tomatoes (20kg)
Sugar (1.5kg)
Onions (finely chopped) (450g)
Salt (330g)
Vinegar (800ml)
Spices:
Mace (3.5g)
Cinnamon (9g)
Cardamom (11.25g)
Cumin (11.25g)
Ground black pepper (11.25g)
Ground white pepper (5g)
Ground ginger (5g)
A tomato chilli sauce can be made by adding 2.5g chilli powder to 10kg tomato pulp before
processing.
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