Sont (Tamarind Sauce)
A tangy sweet and sour, spicy sauce served along with samosas, dahi vada, chaat, allu tikkas, and other savories.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp tamarind paste (available at Indian grocery stores - see notes)
- ¼ tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 3 tbsp brown sugar or jaggery
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp chaat masala (available at Indian grocery stores)
- 2 tbsp black salt
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
Instructions
- All ingredients are to your taste, so feel free to increase or decrease the ingredient accordingly.
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir well until nicely blended and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat a bit and let simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sauce thickens. It should have a consistency a little thinner than ketchup.
- Turn off the heat and allow it to cool, but be sure to stir it a few times while it is cooling, so it doesn't form a film on top.
- Refrigerate when cool.
- Serve cold chutney with chaat, samosas, pakoras, allu tikkas. I also enjoy it with boiled channa or boiled potatoes mixed with yogurt.
Notes
If you do not have tamarind paste, you can use ½ cup of tamarind pulp. Add to a pot with 2½ cups of water, and bring it to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine sieve. I use my fingers to squeeze out every bit of juice! Discard the pulp and use the strained tamarind liquid.
When I am in a hurry, I add a teaspoon of cornstarch to a quarter cup of water and then add it to the simmering sauce. Stir for about 2-3 minutes until the desired consistency is reached.