Inji Puli (Ginger-Tamarind Chutney)
Inji Puli is a sweet-sour-spicy chutney or pickle made of ginger, tamarind, green chillies and jaggery. It has the perfect blend of sweetness, sourness and tanginess owing to its ingredients. Inji means ginger and puli means tamarind in Malayalam. It is served as a part of the feast (sadya) in Kerala. It is also a great accompaniment to the South Indian Curd Rice. It is often referred to as inji curry, inji puli or puli inji in different parts of Kerala. It is the most sought-after chutney whenever I prepare my feast. I prepare it a day before the feast and store it in an airtight container.
Equipment
- 1 Deep pan or kadai
- 1 ladle
Ingredients
- 7-8 pieces Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 1 lemon-sized Tamarind
- 2 cups Water
- 3-4 nos. Green chillies
- 1 tsp Salt or as per taste
For seasoning
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 2-3 nos. Whole red chillies
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1 pinch Asafoetida
- 1 tbsp Jaggery (crushed)
Instructions
- Wash ginger, remove skin, chop into very small pieces, keep aside.Wash tamarind, soak in warm water (2 cups) and make tamarind paste by squeezing out the pulp by using a strainer. (It should be in semi-liquid form). To this, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Keep the tamarind mixture aside.
- Heat a pan, pour coconut oil when the pan is hot. Add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Add whole red chillies, curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. Now, add chopped ginger. Fry on low flame, stirring occasionally. Fry till it turns light golden brown and crisp. (Can add a little coconut oil, if required). Make sure that it doesn’t getting burnt.
- Next, pour the pulpy tamarind liquid into the pan and boil for some time. The mixture will start thickening. Add crushed jaggery.Check the consistency if it is thick enough. Check if the salt is sufficient. Switch off the flame.Add roasted and powdered fenugreek seeds and mix well.
Notes
The inji puli can be stored in the refrigerator for more than two weeks. It must be stored in an airtight glass container.
To make tamarind pulp, soak tamarind in warm water for 1 hour. Mash it well using a spoon and extract the pulp using a strainer.
While preparing inji puli, the sourness of the tamarind can be adjusted by adding more jaggery powder.
If you are using whole jaggery, make sure to crush and boil it in water to remove the impurities. After boiling one can see the impurities settled at the bottom of the container. Strain the jaggery water using a sieve or strainer.