Sonth (Sweet Dates Chutney)

Sonth is a sweet chutney used in Indian Chats. It is made from dried ginger, or Sooth, hence the name. Chutney is brownish red in colour.

Sonth can be made with dates and dried unripe mango (amchur) slices. Dried ginger powder is added to this which gives a special flavour to the chat, and preferred in most parts of North India.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted Dates (Khajoor) coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dry unripe mango slices/ Amchur slices
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tbsp Kishmish (raisins)

Method:

• In a skillet, dry roast cumin seeds, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Grind roasted cumin seeds in fine powder and keep aside for later use.
• Soak dates and dry amchur for about an hour in 2 cups of water.
• Puree soaked dates and amchur along with other ingredients (except raisins) in a blender.
• Check the thickness and add more water to give it the consistency of heavy cream.
• You can add more sugar if you think it's not sweet enough. Add kishmish to it.
• Boil the chutney for 2-3 minutes. Cool and store it. Dates chutney can be kept in the refrigerator up to 6 months; thin it with water if necessary.
• Serve it with Chat or Dahi vadas.

Do You Know:

Dates are the fruit of the date palm. They have been a staple food of the Middle East for thousands of years. The date palm is believed to have originated around the Persian Gulf, and has been cultivated in ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt.

Dates are considered to be a complete and a very important diet. They contain plenty of vitamins, minerals.

The date is a laxative food. It is highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation as the roughage provided by it stimulates sluggish bowels.

Experiments have also shown that dates contain some stimulants that strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy. This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery on one hand and reduces the bleeding after delivery on the other. Dieticians consider dates as the best food for women in confinement and those who are breast-feeding. This is because dates contain elements that assist in alleviating depression in mothers and enriching the breast-milk with all the elements needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease.