National Tamarind Sauce 325g

National Tangy Tamarind Sauce is the ready-made imli chutney that belongs with Indian street food. It is thicker than a dressing and thinner than jam, dark brown, and the flavour is sweet first and tangy afterwards, with a light note of cumin and ginger. It is ready to use straight from the bottle – no diluting.

Use it as a dip for samosa, pakora and bhaji, and as one of the two sauces on chaat, dahi puri and bhel puri, where the green mint and coriander chutney is the other. A tablespoon stirred into a lentil stew towards the end of cooking adds acidity without thinning the dish, and brushed onto chicken wings for the last few minutes in the oven it gives a dark, glossy glaze. Go gently: the sauce is sweeter than it looks, so taste as you go.

The bottle holds 325 g and lasts for many meals. After opening it should be kept in the fridge and used within a couple of months. If the sauce separates a little, that is normal – shake or stir it. See also the other varieties in the tamarind range.