Happy Ramadan to you all! May this month be full of blessings, happiness, and peace for you and your family.

As soon as the holy month of Ramadan begins, I march towards the kitchen with all my cooking books in hand, ready to take on the kitchen by storm.

The first that I do make is this iridescent chutney.

Sweet and tangy; this imli ki chutney is the perfect complement to all your iftari delicacies. Be it samosas, chaats, or just plain fries; this chutney goes with everything.

 

It’s quick, easy and unbelievably yummy! No Ramadan is complete without this accompanying pakoras in my household.

It’s a Shireen Anwer recipe that I swear by. I first made it six years ago, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it again since then.

 

It takes literally 10 minutes to make (not including the tamarind pulp part), and makes enough to last the whole of Ramadan.

Pop it into a jar and keep stored in a refrigerator.  

Tamarind (Imli) Chutney Yields 1 ½ cup Ingredients: 250g tamarind 1 cup boiling water ½ cup shukr *brown sugar 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon red chili powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon minced garlic Directions: For the Tamarind Pulp: Soak the tamarind seeds in the boiling water for over an hour. When cool to touch, squeeze the pulp and the juice out. Throw away the tamarind seeds. You can now sieve the remaining tamarind pulp or carry on without sieving, it’s optional. For the Chutney: Blend together the prepared tamarind pulp, brown sugar, red chili powder, cumin powder, salt, and garlic. Blend till smooth. Then transfer to a pan, and cook on a low heat for just a minute till it comes to gentle boil. Cool, and store in airtight jar in the refrigerator for upto a month. Notes: Shukr is the raw unprocessed form of sugar. It can be substituted with brown sugar or even plain white sugar. Or even dates.