Sweet tamarind chutney

Any chaat or dahi baras is incomplete without a lavish drizzle of this sweet tamarind chutney. Adding to bhel puri or aloo chaat makes it all more tasty. I prefer to make it myself , experimenting with various ingredients.
The amount of spices can be adjusted to taste.

There is always a bottle of this in fridge.  I sometimes just add this chutney to whipped yogurt, spice it up with chilli powder and coriander leaves, sit in front of tv and slurp :)
The shelf life is quite long so one need not worry about finishing it soon. The number of ingredients added act as digestive aid for stomach also.

Ingredients:
 a tennis ball sized tamarind
 1/8th tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder (sonth) or 1 tsp grated ginger
1/8 tsp fenugreek powder
1 1/4 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
a pinch of nutmeg
1 black cardamom seeds, ground
1/8 tsp green cardamom powder
1 1/4 cup sugar

Method:
Take tennis ball sized tamarind.

Soak  in water till soft.

Mash and extract all the pulp. It comes out approx. 1 1/2 cups and put it in a saucepan.

Add black salt, asafoetida, dry ginger powder, garam masala, fenugreek powder, roasted cumin seed powder, nutmeg, cardamom powder, red chilli powder,  black pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
Do not add sugar at this stage.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for two three minutes.
Remove from flame.
Now, add sugar and stir.
Add melon seeds if desired.

My notes:
Do not add sugar while the tamarind liquid is boiling.  The sugar caramalises and gives chutney a blackish color.
Adding black salt is a must. This imparts a peculiar flavor to chutney.
Add chilli powder and sugar according to your taste.
Raisins and dates can also be added to the mixture while it is boiling.