tamarind date chutney & tomato corn salad with tamarind date chili vinaigrette

sweet spicy tangy, my three favorite girls

A social media strategist would probably advise me to stop giving away multiple recipes in a singular post. But isn’t getting a two-for-one special a great feeling? And who am I to deny you of that.

This tamarind date chutney is more tangy and layered than your average meethi (sweet) chutney. It’s so versatile you can add to salads, a marinade for tofu, or even just drizzled on top of lime wedges with a pinch of salt (some people have a sweet tooth, I have a tart tooth clearly). It’ll also last in your fridge for a couple months — probably longer!

Tomato and corn is one of my favorite pairings. Even just quickly charring the corn and adding a little mint for freshness elevates this simple salad in a big way. The chutney does the heavy lifting in this vinaigrette, but some supporting characters like a small green chili, jaggery, and olive oil bring the perfect balance of flavors. My mouth is watering all over again as I write this.

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[RECIPE] Tamarind Date Chutney

Makes: ~16oz

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water

• 1¼ cups (or around 10 pieces) large medjool dates pitted and roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp black raisins

• 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder

• 1/2 tsp chili powder (you can use kashmiri chili if you want less heat)

• 1/4 tsp black salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/8 tsp asafetida

Instructions:

• To a small heavy bottomed pot, add your water, dates, and raisins. Simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes until the dates and raisins have softened

• Add the tamarind concentrate, mix well and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally

• Turn off the heat, add in your spices, mix well

• Using a handheld blender, mix everything well - small blender will work too just let it cool a bit beforehand (and if you don’t want it thick / chunky, you can strain through a sieve)

• Let it cool before storing - it will thicken significantly as it cools. Store in an airtight container in the fridge

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[RECIPE] Tomato Corn Salad with Tamarind Date Chili Vinaigrette

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Salad

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 2-3 large sweet corn ears, husked

  • The leaves from 4-5 sprigs of mint

• Vinaigrette

  • 1 heaping tbsp of tamarind date chutney

  • 1 clove garlic, microplaned or finely minced

  • 1/4 tsp lime zest

  • 1/2 tbsp juice of a lime (or to taste for some brightness)

  • 1 birds eye chili, finely chopped (or you can split in half for less heat)

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tsp jaggery

  • Big pinch of salt

Instructions:

• Char your corn straight on the gas or on a cast iron skillet (no oil needed). Don’t rotate too often - let the charring develop!

• In the meantime, make your dressing by combining all ingredients together and then vigorously shaking in a jar or whisking well. Taste for salt and jaggery if you need more sweetness

• Once corn is charred and cooled a bit, cut the kernels off the cob and reserve a few of the larger chunks aside for topping the salad

• In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, mint, dressing, and mix well. Plate and top with the larger chunks of charred corn