This was one of those recipes that almost didn’t make it into the book, because upgrading bottled tamarind sauce with fig jam and cumin is so second-nature to my mother that she didn’t even think to suggest it. But like pretty much all of my mom’s spur-of-the-moment culinary experiments, you’re going to want to try this. Tamarind chutney is Indian cuisine’s sweet-and-sour-sauce equivalent, and a perfect partner to most fried things. Adding a heaping spoon of fig jam and some freshly toasted cumin takes all of those amazing qualities of tamarind chutney and cranks them up—the sauce is tangier, sweeter, more lip-smacking. Drizzle it on a stir-fry, brush it on a pork loin, roll it up in a roti with some grains and pickled onions, bathe in it!
Makes 1½ cups
1 In a small saucepan over low heat, toast the cumin until it turns a shade darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl and wipe out the pan.
2 In the same saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the tamarind sauce and ¼ cup water (if using tamarind concentrate, up this to 6 tablespoons water) until fully integrated, then stir in the fig jam. When the sauce starts to bubble, stir in the red chile powder and toasted cumin and remove from the heat. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
3 This chutney keeps, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 3 weeks.
tip: Look for Maggi tamarind sauce online or in any Indian grocery store.