Date and Tamarind Sauce (sonth)

• tamarind↗150g wet g

  wet, preferably seedless

• pitted dates↗125g g
• jaggery↗175g g

  sugar from date palms or light muscovado sugar

• ginger↗1 tsp tsp

  powder

• garam masala↗½ tsp tsp
• ground cumin↗1 tsp tsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Break up the tamarind and dates and place them in a saucepan with jaggery and enough water to cover them, about 500 ml. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 20 minutes or until the tamarind is very soft.

2. 2

   Remove the pan from the heat and pass the pulp through a sieve to remove fibers. The sauce should have a coating consistency – add a little water if it is too thick.

3. 3

   Add ginger powder, garam masala and ground cumin. The sauce should be sweet‑sour – add a little more jaggery if not sweet enough. Cool before serving. Store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.