Take 200 gms of ripe tamarind with seeds. Break it into small pieces if it comes in a chunk.
Pour about 3 cups of warm water into the bowl, enough to soak all of the tamarind pieces completely. (Pro tip: You can add normal water but adding warm water will expedite things and make the tamarind softer, which is good for the texture of the tamarind chutney).
Let it soak for about 10 minutes so that the tamarind melts nicely and the pulp separates.
Mash the pulp with your hands.
Take a strainer. Place it in a bowl.
Pour the liquified tamarind onto the strainer to separate the pulp and seeds from it.
Pour some more warm water and mash the pulp and seeds with your hand. Discard them and put the bowl with liquefied tamarind aside.
Now, take a wok and heat it on a high flame on your gas stove.
When the wok is hot enough, pour the liquified tamarind in it. (Pro tip: Do not pour it to the last drop. This will prevent the sand and other impurities from being added to the chutney).
Now add 300 gms of jaggery, sliced into small pieces or powdered to the wok. (Pro tip: If you do not have jaggery at home, do not worry. You can regular sugar to the tamarind. However, adding jaggery will add to the taste and flavor of the tamarind chutney).
Stir it nicely for a couple of minutes to mix the jaggery nicely and cook it on a high flame.
Now add 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder to the content in the wok. (Pro tip: Make sure that you keep stirring so that the jaggery does not stick to the wok).
Bring it to a boil. When you see the chutney boiling, turn the flame to medium and let the chutney cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
While it cooks, in the meantime, take a frying pan and heat it on a low flame on your gas stove.
When the pan is hot enough, add 3 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 tsp of fennel seeds, and 1.5 tsp of black pepper in it.
Stir the spices continuously to dry roast them nicely.
Turn the flame off when you notice the change in the color and you can smell the aroma of the roasted spices. Let it cool a bit and crush the roasted spices roughly, preferably in a mortar & pestle. Transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside. (Pro tip: Do not grind the roasted spices into a fine powder using a mixer-grinder. A coarse powder will give a fine texture and consistency to the tamarind chutney).
By this time, the tamarind chutney should have lost enough water to become thick. Check it and boil it for some more time if needed.
When you are satisfied with the thickness, add 1.5 tsp of the crushed roasted spices to the chutney.
Then add ½ tsp of table salt to the chutney.
Follow it with 1 tsp of dry ginger powder.
Now add 1 tsp of black salt to the chutney and stir it to mix everything nicely. Cook for some more time so that the chutney becomes thick. (Pro tip: You can add a little bit of water if you do not want too thick a chutney).
Check the consistency and then add ½ tsp of roasted melon seeds to the chutney. (Pro tip: You may also add cashew nuts to the chutney but make sure that you roast and crush them before adding).
Mix it and let it cool. Pour it into a bowl and your tamarind chutney to have with dahi vada is ready.