
Til Ki Chutney (Tandoori Home Cooking)
A nutty, tart and hot sesame chutney with fresh mint, green chilli and tamarind. It tastes toasty and sour, with a clear chilli kick.
Toasted sesame
27 gToasted in the dry pan (step 1), then ground coarse (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Warm a small frying pan over a medium heat with nothing in it.
- Tip in 27 g white sesame seed and toast for 2 minutes, shaking the pan often, until light brown.
- Take the pan off the heat and leave the sesame to cool.
- Grind the cooled sesame coarsely, then put it in a serving bowl.
- Blend 10 g mint leaf, 2 g green bird's-eye chilli, 18 g tamarind paste, 8.4 g caster sugar and salt to taste with 50 ml water to a paste.
- Scrape the paste into the bowl with the sesame, mix well and serve immediately.
Don't have something?

White sesame seed

Sesame seedsUse 100% of the weight. Toast lightly in a dry pan until fragrant; works identically in gravies, spice blends, and tadkas.
Poppy seedUse 80% of the weight, soaked in hot water and ground to a paste. Perfect for thickening kormas and royal gravies without altering the pale colour.
Black sesame seedsUse 100% of the weight. It has an earthier, slightly more bitter flavour and will dramatically darken the dish.

Mint leaf

Mint leavesUse the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.
Dried mintUse 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.
Coriander leafUse the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Tamarind paste

Tamarind pulpUse 120–150% of the weight and strain; pulp is less concentrated, so simmer a little longer to thicken.
Tamarind extractUse 150–200% of the weight and reduce gently; extract is already diluted.
Lime juiceUse 60–70% of the weight with a pinch of jaggery; sharper, so add near the end off the heat.

Caster sugar

Granulated sugarUse the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.
Demerara sugarUse the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.
Ground jaggery or soft brown sugarUse the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.
Similar dishes

- Same: Jal Jeera shares tamarind, mint, green bird's-eye chilli, caster sugar and salt with this dish.
- Different: Jal Jeera adds coriander, ginger, boondi, cumin, black peppercorn, fennel, black salt and dried mango powder, and lacks sesame, and it is a chilled drink rather than a chutney.

- Same: Tamarind Chutney shares tamarind paste, chilli and salt with this dish, and both are chutneys.
- Different: Tamarind Chutney uses 45 g tamarind paste and 90 g light brown sugar, plus ground ginger, mild chilli powder and cumin seed, while it lacks this dish's sesame seeds, mint leaves and fresh green chilli.

- Same: Hari Pudine Ki Chutney shares fresh mint, green bird's-eye chilli, salt and sugar with this dish.
- Different: Hari Pudine Ki Chutney uses raw mango as its main ingredient and souring agent instead of white sesame seed and tamarind paste, and it adds ground almond, water and crushed cumin.

- Same: Coriander & Mint Chutney shares mint, green chilli, sugar and salt with this dish, and both are chutneys.
- Different: Coriander & Mint Chutney uses coriander, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and vegetable oil, and it lacks this dish's sesame seeds and tamarind.














