Tamarind Date Chaat Dressing
Jain-friendly chaat salad dressing with dates, tamarind, jaggery, and chaat masala. A pourable sweet-sour dressing with no lemon, onion, garlic, or ginger.
Equipment
- Blender
- Fine mesh strainer optional, for a silkier pour
Ingredients
Dressing
- 8 soft pitted dates about 1/2 cup packed; Medjool or soaked regular dates
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste or thick soaked pulp, seeds removed
- 1-2 tablespoons jaggery grated or powdered; or maple syrup
- 1/2-3/4 cup water divided; plus more to thin
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder bhuna jeera
- 1/4 teaspoon black salt kala namak, or to taste
- salt only if needed after tasting
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chili powder optional; or 1 green chili, finely chopped
- 1 pinch hing asafoetida; optional
Instructions
Soften the dates
- If dates are firm, cover with hot water and soak 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain, saving 2 to 3 tablespoons of the soaking water.
Blend the base
- Add dates, tamarind paste, jaggery, and 1/2 cup water (or soaking water plus fresh water) to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides once.
Season and thin
- Transfer to a jar or bowl. Stir in chaat masala, roasted cumin, black salt, optional chili, and optional hing.
- Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dressing pours in a ribbon from a spoon.
- Taste. Add a little more tamarind for sharper tang, or a pinch more jaggery if it tastes harsh. Add regular salt only if the chaat masala and black salt still leave it flat.
- Optional: strain through a fine mesh for a smoother pour. Chill 10 minutes if you want it colder; stir and thin again if it thickens.
Notes
This is a pourable salad dressing, not thick date-tamarind chutney. Thin until it coats greens and sprouts.
Fully Jain as written: no onion, garlic, or ginger. Omit hing if preferred.
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Stir before using; add a splash of water if it thickens.
Naturally vegan if you use jaggery or maple (no honey).
Pair with sprouted moong salad and other Jain Salads Week chaat bowls.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!