Imli and Mircha Chutney Fiji Style – Tamarind Chutney with Chillies

Imli and mircha chutney Fiji style is an almost essential side that every household must have in their pantry. It’s sweet and tangy and goes well with fritters such as bara and with vegetarian meals, especially dhal. Tamarind chutney made with large red chillies adds another layer of flavour into the traditional tamarind chutney that we all love. Because longer chillies have less heat, you’ll find that it absorbs the flavour of the tamarind and the sweetness of the sugars from the dates, sultana and sugar and it almost begins to taste like a sweet or candy.

My mother-in-law shared her imli and mircha chutney fiji style recipe with me and I find that the larger chillies make it sweeter and smaller chillies make it spicier. Depending on the flavour you want to add to your chutney, you can swap long chillies for medium ones. My mother-in-law was kind enough to make the video below to share her recipe with anyone that loves tamarind and chilli chutney (imli aur mircha ke chutney in Fiji hindi).

When making this chutney, make sure you balance the sugar levels by tasting the chutney at regular intervals. In Fiji, you will find the really dark tamarind is very sour while store bought ones originating from Asian countries has a sweeter flavour. We would always prefer using Fiji’s dark and flavourful tamarind but if you only have packaged tamarind available, this will do just fine. Just remember that if you use dates and sultana, it could make the chutney much sweeter (especially if the tamarind you’re using is also a sweet variety).

Using the rice flour is up to you as it is used to make the chutney thicker. We found that the chutney’s thickness increased when it cools down, so add more hot water (depending on your preference) and cook till it reaches a consistency that isn’t too thick or watery. You’ll know when it’s just right, and it’s all up to your taste and preference.