tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

  • Tamarind is generally available in the shops as a block of compressed fruits, including everything other than the shells. Check than nothing else has been added.
  • Generally the block is used to make tamarind paste. This involves breaking it up as much as you can, soaking it overnight, breaking it up more, leaving it to soak more, then pulping it. It's then strained through a sieve.
  • If you simply soak and blend it it doesn't taste the same. It's better to have some patience and remove all the bits.
  • The whole process can be greatly accelerated by using heat, but this isn't the same either.

Links

  • Founded in 1968, the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) is the largest amateur fruit-growing organization in the world. The link below gives the botanical information for tamarind.
  • http://www.crfg.org
  • Sweet and tangy, tamarind is one of the widely used spice-condiments found in every South-Asian kitchen! Tamarind is a very large tree with long, heavy drooping branches, and dense foliage. Completely grown-up tree might reach up to 80 feet in height. During each season, the tree bears curved fruit pods in abundance covering all over its branches. Each pod has hard outer shell encasing ...
  • http://www.nutrition-and-you.com
tamarind block

tamarind block