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Ingredients:

 

• Tamarind: ½ cup deseeded tamarind (often sold in blocks in Indian food stores)

• Dates: ¾ cup deseeded medjool dates 

• Jaggery: ¼ cup grated jaggery (available in Indian food stores)

• Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

• Fennel seeds: 1 tsp

• Cinnamon stick pieces: 2 small 1 inch pieces 

• Cloves: 3 

• Water: 3 to 3 ½ cups in total

 

Method:

 

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of boiling water for 30-45 minutes. Then break the pieces apart in the water to create a paste, ensure you remove any seeds or hard pieces of the pods that may be difficult for your blender or food processor to blend, then set aside.

 

Heat your pan to medium-high, add your cumin seeds. Dry roast for about 30 seconds then in the same pan add your fennel seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick pieces, roast for a few minutes until you can smell the fragrance of the spices and they turn golden brown.

 

If your blender or food processor is not powerful enough to crush the spices once the liquids have been added then I suggest you use a mortar and pestle (or coffee grinder) to turn the spices into a powder then proceed with the last few steps.

 

To the same pan add your tamarind along with the liquid/paste heat until the mix comes to the boil, then add your dates and a cup of water, cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes (or until the dates and tamarind break down to a jam-like consistency). 

 

Then add your jaggery, salt and another 1-1.5 cups of water, cook for another 5-6 minutes.

 

Let the mix cool slightly before placing it into your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. 

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See the printable PDF version of the recipe here

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