Hope that helps! The block of pulp, which is sometimes sold frozen, is made from the fleshy membrane that surrounds the seed pod, which gets compacted into a handy brick. Your email address will not be published. Soak and strain the compressed tamarind as you would the whole pods. rev2023.7.7.43526. Grind into a thokku or. So assam jawa was very handy that way! if you like more sourness in your dish you can actually same quantity to that of a actual paste pulp/paste/concetrate. But always add half of what's called in recipe and later you can add to taste. But, really, my favorite way to use tamarind pulp is in Nik Sharmas Ginger & Tamarind refresher, from his cookbook Season. View Recipe. To use tamarind slices, soak them in 150ml warm water for about 30 mins. It would get real soft,add little lukewarm water to bring down the temperature. It`s awesome on wings sweet, caramelly and with a bit of tang. 15-20 minutes is sufficient to allow it to soften. If you like the taste of straight tamarind, try soaking the leftover tamarind fibers in water for a refreshing, flavored drink or chewing on the fibers for a little snack! Usually, youll just see the ripe fruit, a more leathery version of itself, encased in a brown pod. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, mashing with a fork halfway through, to loosen the pulp. Tamarind is apod-likefruit that is used in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking. To revisit this recipe, visit My Account, thenView saved recipes. Store the pods in a cool, dark place. (I use roughly one cup of hot water for every two ounces of pulp .) Tamarind concentrate is a cooked down, intensely flavored, syrupy version of the fruit. This yields about 3/4 cup sauce. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Another option is to use fresh lime juice. Frozen, unsweetened pulpis usually packed in 14-ounce pouches. Thats an absolute NO! Black Chana with Potato. If youre not familiar with tamarind, you might be surprised to learn that it is an ingredient in Worcestershire and HP steak sauce. These tiny umami-packed flavor pouches can turn any savory dish into better versions of itself. It can also whisper its presence, providing a now-you-taste-it-now-you-dont background for other flavors in a dish. Well wrapped, the pulp keeps indefinitely in the freezer. Tamarind powder is very different in flavor and consistency, I would be very cautious in substitutions. Go easy when snacking on these though, as they're known to have a mild laxative effect! If youve been to an Indian restaurant lately, chances are that a bowl of tamarind chutney hit the table not long after you were seated. But in most grocery stores (and in most recipes), youll instead see pulp or concentrate. This 4-Ingredient Pastry Chef Trick Makes Any Summer Produce Fancy. All rights reserved. I was very confused by all the different forms of tamarind but this really cleared things up for me! Pickle chunky pieces with tomatoes, chiles, or carrot to enjoy with Indian bread like paratha. Get our best recipes, grocery finds, and clever kitchen tips delivered to your inbox. She is the author of. In my experience, it only took one attempt to go from "What am I supposed to do with these giant peanut-looking things?" If a recipe calls for tamarind pulp/paste/concentrate, can I substitute powder? Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Push a bit at a time through a fine meshed strainer. Separate the tamarind into small chunks and place the fruit into a medium heatproof bowl. Tamarind pulp, usually in a big, dark amber-colored block is, in my mind, superior to the fresh pods for cooking applications. If not I would suggest to do 3/4. Tamarind is high in tartaric acid, resulting in a very sour and slightly sweet flavour. It's a colorful stir-fry of egg noodles, meat, peanuts, scrambled egg slices, tofu, and bean sprouts tossed in a sweet and savory sauce. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); That is one confusing fruit! To make tamarind paste / juice / water, allow 1 tbsp wet tamarind / tamarind block to soften in a few tablespoons of hot water. The Epicentre is about herbs and spices, the spice trade, cooking with spices, recipes and health benefits of spice. The flesh is reddish brown in colour, slightly chewy in texture, and unique and tart in flavour. This isoften simply labeled as tamarind. Soak and strain the compressed tamarind as you would the whole pods. Required fields are marked *. The pulp falls through and the fibers stay behind. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. For every 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste, substitute 1 tablespoon of brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Then strain through a fine-mesh sieve, gently scraping the bottom of the sieve with a silicone spatula to encourage the sticky tamarind through. Supporting ingredients often include a hint of sugar, fresh chiles, aromatics such as garlic, ginger, and shallots, coconut milk, or a blend of some or all of the above. The fruit comes from the tamarind tree and is cocooned inside seed pods. It has a rather fibrous pulp, but it can all be eaten. Ayam Assam Serani (Tangy Eurasian Chicken Curry). If the pod is fresh the bark shell will separate if you bend the pod in half. I use my hands, but a potato masher or fork would also work here. Allrecipes has more than 70 trusted tamarind recipes complete with ratings, reviews and cooking tips. The best substitute for tamarind is the humble clear vinegar. Worcestershire sauce. The tamarind extract may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Associate food editor Rachel Gurjar recommends the tamarind concentrate below for all your non-pulpy needs. Tamarind ade is made by combining tamarind paste with water, sugar, and sometimes spices such as cloves, Bahamas Brazil, Puerto Rico tamarind is mixed with sugar, then strained and bottled to make a syrup, Thailand used in many dishes and the seeds are sold as a coffee replacement. Then go ahead and bite off a chunk, and then spit out the hard seeds. Unripe, the fruit is bright green, with a pale green-tinted brown skin. (Warning, tamarind seeds are a choking hazard for kids!). If you found this article useful, dont forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Raw tamarind is highly acidic and pucker-inducing. Besides adding flavor, tamarind delivers another bonus when its used in a marinade. Cooking Taste Recipes Buying Storage Back to Top Tamarind paste is made from a sour, dark, sticky fruit that grows in a pod on a tamarind tree. Heres what we do! of tamarind paste (a roughly 2 12-inch ball) and divide it into 8 pieces. The pulp falls through and the fibers stay behind. Whole dried podswith their hard, brown skin are commonly packaged in cellophane bags. With Short-Cut Angel Hair Pasta, Anything Is Possible. Find out how to use it here! 1. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Would it be possible for a civilization to create machines before wheels? The texture is slightly pulpy and pasty in a good way, like natures fruit leather. To make tamarind paste / juice /water,allow1 tbsp wet tamarind / tamarind block to soften in a few tablespoons of hot water. assam in Singapore and Malaysia (in Malay), assam jawa in Indonesia (also in Singapore/Malaysia). So there is no need for any form of sugar. Its not an exact science, but we usually find that a 6-ounce chunk (about 1 cup) will give us between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of pulp. Use your fingers to mash it a little, and then push a bit at a time through a fine meshed strainer. Tamarind is used in a variety of dishesit gives a hint of sour to sweet chutneys, it mixes with vinegar, sugar and fish sauce to form the base of pad Thai and it's also a staple in Indian curry when combined with coconut milk. If you really don't like the extra step, make more than you need and freeze the rest. Add a spoonful or so of unsweetened pulp at the last moment to a mix of sauted vegetables for a refreshingly acidic finish. For Next-Level Caramel, Reach for Tamarind Paste. Add sugar gradually, tasting as you go to reach just the right balance. Add a comment. You get the tartness with a hint of sweetness, without any unnecessary added flavours that lime or lemon juice will impart. Buckwheat Queen. Its so highly concentrated that you can just spoon out a tiny bit to add zing to your sauce. To process, combine about 2 ounces of the pulp with 5 ounces hot water. Tamarind aubergine with black rice, mint & feta 6 ratings As a result, my granny was always cleaning tamarind seeds to replace them. You can also find tamarind balls, a dessert made of tamarind, sugar and spices. Plus, youll find it pops up in recipes constantlyand if you choose the right one, it can be totally fine. Place the pieces in a small nonreactive bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Or, whir those same flavors into a dipping sauce, like in this sambal oelekflecked sauce. Peel away the thin brown husk to reveal the tacky sour-sweet fruit. Youll need about a cup of water for every cup of tamarind pulp. After opening, store it in the refrigerator; it will stay good for at least three months. Once your tamarind has rehydratedabout half an hour or somash it to really incorporate that hot water into the flesh. You can use it in your cooking in place of some water or broth, or you can dilute it in fizzy water for another take on tamarind juice! critical chance, does it have any reason to exist? (I use roughly one cup of hot water for every two ounces of pulp.) Thank you so much! Avoid the concentrates that contain sweeteners and artificial flavors or colors. You're essentially rubbing the fibers (and seeds) against the strainer to separate the pulp from the fibers. Sweet and Sour Tamarind-Glazed Lamb Chops 1 Rating Chicken Massaman Curry 166 Ratings Authentic Pad Thai 290 Ratings Sinigang na Bangus (Filipino Milkfish in Tamarind Broth) 1 Rating This is why its highly prized in many cuisines around the world. 05 of 16. We find that a spatula or small scraper is really helpful for this step. I shall add more as we go on, like Mee Siam Kuah and curries. Then use your fingers to mash the tamarind until it dissolves and you are left with alight brown coloured, thick, sauce-like paste. found this on a recipe - 1 teaspoon dried tamarind (or one-half inch fresh tamarind thinly sliced or diced). On a side note, I like tamarind, but Idislike those sauces. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Also see. Improve this answer. Now lets go take a look at how to use tamarind. Whether youre usingbottled tamarind paste, or youre making your own tamarind juice/water, use whatever amount of thisthat the recipe calls for. Characters with only one possible next character. All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. Place your pulp in the first bowl and pour the hot water over it. Sweet Corn, Green Beans, and Cabbage in Tamarind Soup Tiny Chili Pepper. In order to offer this guide, Ive tried to move past yum as my start-and-finish reaction to all things tamarind and dive a little deeper into the best ways to use this particularly glorious fruit in all its forms. What is the significance of Headband of Intellect et al setting the stat to 19? Then you strain the brown liquid to obtain the brown, sour juice to add to whatever recipe you are using it in. Unopened, it can be stored indefinitely in a cool, dark place. And what is it exactly, anyway? Pad thai and many other Southeast Asian dishes just wouldnt be the same without a few healthy spoonfuls of sweet-sour tamarind. We independently select these productsif you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Do you need an "Any" type when implementing a statically typed programming language? It hasa hard, dry, light brown exterior and severalhard seeds. js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/61/50414661.js"; If youre lucky, youll find tamarind in the pod wherever you buy Southeast Asian, Indian, or Latin American ingredients. . Stir to combine, transfer to a glass jar, seal tightly, and refrigerate (for up to a week). The best tamarind varieties to buy, the best recipes to use them in, and more questions you have about this delicious sweet-sour fruitanswered. Required fields are marked *. If youre starting withfresh tamarind, discard the shell, the seeds, andthe fibrous thread that runs along the outside ofthe flesh. make a past out of the powder and use it. Looking for unique recipes using tamarind? The best (and easiest) route is to find a good quality jar of tamarind paste that's perfectly tart and glossy and uniform in consistency to ensure . Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup with Tamarind, 8. But an ingredient that comes in so many forms can provoke confusion as much as joy. This classic kala chana (black chickpeas) recipe melds the flavors of tamarind, ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. While tamarind is a little sweet when tasted neat, it really does not add sweetness to dishes. Its easier to cook with, and theres still that true juicy sourness you get from sucking the fruit right off the seed. Cooking for the Heart: 6 New Recipes for Gatherings. Frozen tamarind nectar is ready to use and is packaged in 12-ounce plastic bottles or cans. What would stop a large spaceship from looking like a flying brick? Spoiler: You've probably eaten it. Those are generally looser in consistency than concentrate is, but your results will vary by brand. if (d.getElementById(id)) return; When combined with sweet citrus juices, the nectar becomes an excellent base for low-fat frozen desserts such as granitas or sorbets. Depending your recipe, you might want a looser or gooier consistency; just make sure the liquid retains some viscosity. Marinated overnight in a tamarind-tinged liquid, beef becomes succulent and tender-a great technique for less expensive cuts. That doesn't really happen with dry powder. How to get Romex between two garage doors. Squeeze . Tamarind is a tropical fruit that is used as a souring ingredient in many cuisines around the world. Tamarind, extracted from the pod-like fruits of the tamarind tree, is a sweet-sour pulp that tastes similar to lemons and dates. Make a salad dressing with tamarind, lemon juice, a bit of brown sugar, and olive oil-good for strongly flavored greens with apples and cashews. It is also availablecandied. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct. Do this today and youll eat well all week long. Any good substitutes for tamarind in Beef Rendang? If you need a recipe for tamarind uses, I would gladly oblige. Or Chinese rice vinegar. Drain through a sieve or colander. In my mind, its inferior to the block of pulp; sometimes it has a slightly harsh, biting aftertaste, and lacks that fresh oomph of tartness. Its a truly ideal combination of hot/sweet/sour that cools you down or cuts through a heavy meal. Any recipe that calls for pulp will begin with instructions on rehydrating it to the right consistency; but if youre freestyling, heres a how-to. Your email address will not be published. Hi Janet, if the recipe calls for paste as a starting point to be mixed with water and then strained, then your tamarind nectar can be used as a great, time saving substitution. Tamarind Origin: Indigenous to Africa but, over time, spread globally to many tropical and sub-tropical countries. }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-d2559b6gz")); Copyright The Epicentre - Website designed by, The Rise of eSports: Opportunities for College Students, Boost Grades with 8 Proven Study Strategies, Easy Casserole Recipes: Quick and Delicious Comfort Food, The creamery chronicles: Exploring the Magic of Cream in Cuisine. Chicken in Spicy Coconut-Tamarind Sauce. Note that this jarred tamarind paste is Not the same thing asjarred tamarind concentrate. Thank you so much for writing! Should tamarind pulp go into Pad Thai sauce? Remove the seeds and use the meat to make tamarind water or juice To get about a cup of usable tamarind (enough for a dish serving four people), start with about 4 1/2 ounces of the dried pods, remove the fruit from the pods (you should have about 3 ounces), and soak it for about 20 minutes in about 1 cup of warm water. Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, What to do with insoluble tamarind parts found in a paste pouch, to prevent them appearing in dishes. Tamarinds rich, brown color also deepens the color of a marinade, which can make a wonderful sauce when reduced. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); These Meal Prep Tricks Will Save You Cooking Time Every Week. The pulp itself is very fibrous, so we need to soften it and push it through a fine-meshed strainer to separate the edible pulp from the strands of fiber. The paste is further refined and has been sifted and strained to remove the fibers and seeds. While tamarind does pair beautifully with aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and chiles, I avoid combining herbs and tamarind in any form, other than adding a whiff of fresh cilantro to a tamarind-based soup at the last minute. Pad Thai In the mood for an easy Thai recipe that's packed with incredible taste and texture? I particularly like to combine tamarind with tangerine or pink grapefruit juice. Take a look at the instruction card below, as well as the video to see how its done. Can ultraproducts avoid all "factor structures"? How much pepper/allspice to substitue for cubeb? Im So glad to hear that it was helpful! This is now ready to be used and can be stirred directly into your dish. Maybe frozen? If it's going in a chutney, then perhaps, let your boiling water cool down for 5 minutes, then soak the pulp for 10 minutes. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. What Is It? Leave to soak for 5 minutes, mashing with a fork halfway through, to loosen the pulp. I really appreciate your comment , Pingback: Sweet Corn, Green Beans, and Cabbage in Tamarind Soup Tiny Chili Pepper. Recipes Wondering about tamarind paste concentrate vs tamarind paste puree, or how to make your own tamarind puree at home? Its a thick, dark unsweetened paste. Taking its English name from the Arabic, tamarhindi, meaning Indian date, tamarind is typically used in equatorial cuisines, such as Indian, Latin American, and Thai. What can we do if we accidentally buy tamarind puree instead of paste? It is full of fibers and seeds. Types: Tamarind paste concentrate and tamarind paste puree I find that the water, by this stage, isn't too hot to handle. Youll be in good company, joining the ranks of cooks from all over the world who add the pulp of this tropical fruit to a wide range of dishes-sauces, marinades, salads, stirfries, even sorbets and cool, refreshing summer drinks. Then use your fingers to mash the tamarind until it "dissolves" and you are left with a light brown coloured, thick, sauce-like paste. It's incredibly versatile - try it in a prawn curry, pad Thai or aubergine pickle. In the end, you should have a bowl full of soft tamarind paste that is about the consistency of apple sauce. Fancy something different?Check out my flagship blog:LinsFood, Copyright 2023 Singaporean and Malaysian Recipes. If youve got a jar of it in paste form, the best thing to do is to read the instructions. To eat snacking tamarind, break off the brittle shell and peel off the veins. Why do complex numbers lend themselves to rotation? To prepare a container of pulp from a block; break up as much as you need and reconstitute it by covering it with boiled water. Step 1. :) We find that a spatula or small scraper is really helpful for this step. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. (If using whole tamarind pods, remove and discard the outer shell and use the soft fruit inside.) For the most part, we use blocks of tamarind pulp when this ingredient is called for, and these require a little extra prep work before going into the pot. The pulp is usually a processed version of the block and should be relative free of fibers and seeds. Tamarind is not a food that I can be strictly objective about. Add tamarind concentrate to fresh tangerine or orange juice, sweeten to taste with sugar, and freeze into a refreshing granita. I think youll find, as I have, that the bit of prep work necessary to transform tamarinds bean-like pods into a fruity-tart pure is quick and easy to do. Yourpaste can be made ahead andstored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Tamarind is used worldwide in food, candy, and beverages: India the sour, unripe tamarind pods are cooked with meat, fish, or rice as seasoning, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, India candy is made by mixing tamarind pulp with sugar and rolling it into balls or patties, Bahamas unripe tamarinds are roasted in coals until they burst open; the pulp is eaten hot. How can you use it? To make about 1 cup of extract, measure 14 lb. I love it all; I want to eat it all. Next, cover the pulp with boiling water. lolthis is a great post to get people interested in tamarindI use the packaged tamarind and make that into a paste as you described. What seems too tart to some might be just right to others, so when youre cooking with tamarind you may want to sweeten things a bit. Plus, how to substitutebrown butter formelted butter in virtually any recipe. Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. Pour the boiling water over the tamarind, submerge completely, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Instructions. Silky sabayon takes all of 10 minutes to make, and it can lean sweet or savory. To revisit this recipe, visit My Account, thenView saved recipes. Tamarind is a tropical fruit that is used as a souring agent in many cuisines around the world. If they arent available, a rough guide is 1 Tbsp of jar paste = 1 Tbsp pulp. Substitute fresh garlic instead of garlic powder? The fruits natural acidity helps to tenderize tougher cuts of beef, breaking down the fibers in the meat. Rehydrating tamarind pulp: Break off a piece of pulp, add it to a small heatproof bowl, and pour hot water over the top. Tamarind is a fruit for starters, and grows on the tamarind tree as bean pods that contain many seeds encased in a moist, sticky brown pulp. First cut off the portion you need. I prefer to use either the whole pods or the compressed pulp whenever I have the luxury of a few minutes extra time because I find that these forms are more reliably flavorful, and more complex in flavor, than other forms. Add more hot water as necessary. How to Make Brown Butter, the One-Ingredient Sauce That Makes Everything Better. Small Tip : Depends on what dish you are making, sometimes use of powder could be tricky and might not get well blended into the dish. Depending on its context, tamarind can express a big, bold personality. Discardthe seeds and any pieces that have not mixed or dissolved with the water. I would agree that tamarind powder is not the best substitute, and I would add that whole tamarind is not that hard to deal with if you can find it. (If youre throwing your protein on the grill, consider brushing it with the marinade late in the cooking process so that the natural sugars from the tamarind dont burn.). We are easy to reach and eager to please: (function(d, s, id) { Sweetened tamarind syrupis ready to use. Can I still have hopes for an offer as a software developer. 4. To add further confusion, the term tamarind pulp has been used to describeboth the flesh of tamarind (wet tamarind / tamarind block) and,contrarily, the parts of the tamarind that do not dissolve or mix with water.