#Tamarind paste how to

Organize your own tamarind Fika, and make enough tamarind paste to last a year. Have you ever seen a group of women sit together and assemble tamales? It’s like a coffee klatch or Scandinavian Fika where a group of women congregate and kvetch or share dreams. It is somewhat a laborious task but don’t fret, it’s great to do with others. Spalted tamarind is one of my favorite woods that Mr. It is a tropical shrub so, sorry my fellow Utahn’s.Īs far as the wood of the shrub goes, it is beautiful when infected with a mold. Later, in the 16th century, settlers brought tamarind to Mexico where the population quickly incorporated the fruit into their cuisine. Tamarind originates in Africa but has spread effectively throughout Arabia and India. Tamarind is high in iron, magnesium and phosphorous. These pods have a hard shell covering a fibrous and seedy pod. Tamarind is a shrub that grows very tall and produces fruity pods. We are going to de-construct tamarind paste together. I know, I know…įear not my intrepid community, there is no big mystery here. I eventually tossed it out since I had no idea what I could do with it. It never seemed to go bad, there wasn’t any furry mold on it.

#Tamarind paste how to

I had no idea what to do with it or how to prepare it so it stayed in the bottom of my refrigerator for a very long time. It wasn’t until somebody who thought I knew how to cook Indian food gifted me a block of tamarind. Some good alternatives to tamarind paste are pomegranate molasses, amchoor powder, rice vinegar or simply a blend of lime juice and brown sugar.The first time I saw tamarind in any form was along the Mexican Border. What can I use instead of tamarind paste? Normally tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate are the same product. Read below to learn how to make it step-by-step.Īre tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate the same thing? Many recipe books will direct you to make your own tamarind water, to ensure that you are using the same concentration of tamarind as the chef. Tamarind water is made by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling water before straining through a sieve and storing the liquid. What is tamarind water and how to make it?

Nam Phrik Kapi - an all-purpose Thai sauce.

Iranian tamarind recipe: Yasmin Khan's Bandari Fishcakes with a Tamarind and Date Sauce.

Indian tamarind recipe: Goan Roast Cauliflower & Green Bean Curry.

Try cooking with tamarind in these recipes:

Tamarind is used throughout southeast Asia in curries, Indian cuisine and even in a Mexican drink called Agua de Tamarindo. However, if tamarind is the main flavour in your dish, homemade tamarind water has a much fresher taste. Tamarind paste is much more convenient and quicker to use as you can easily spoon it from the jar directly into your dish. Instead it is commonly used to make tamarind water before adding it to a recipe. Tamarind pulp is rarely used in cooking unless diluted. Should I use tamarind paste or tamarind pulp? It is also known as tamarind concentrate or ‘cooking tamarind’ and is packaged in small plastic tubs similar to peanut butter. The amount the tamarind pulp is diluted varies between brands, so when c ooking from a recipe add the paste slowly and taste as you go because the chef may be using a different brand. Tamarind paste is made by diluting tamarind pulp with water, into a pre-mixed solution ready for cooking. Tamarind pulp is made from the citrussy flesh inside the tamarind pod - which grow on trees like the image above. The pods grow on trees which are native to tropical Africa, but are now also cultivated around the world in tropical climates such as India and Central America. The brown-red fleshy pulp has a sticky, date-like consistency with distinctively tart flavour and sweet date aroma. Tamarind is a fruit related to peanuts and chickpeas.