Using Tamarind in Indian Cooking
Tamarind has a tangy sour flavour that make your mouth tingle. It comes from the fruit pulp of a tree native to India where the fruit hangs down in brown pods. Each pod contains a sticky brown pulp and stones.
The pulp has a very acidic, fruity, sour flavour that adds a tartness to dishes and is commonly used to make chutneys and pickles.
Tamarind can be brought as a hard block of the pulp which needs to be rehydrated in hot water or as a concentrate which is black in colour or as a lighter paste. I prefer to use the blocks as I think you get the real tamarind flavour which doesn't always come through from the jar products.
It can also be used as a natural laxative.
Tamarind is used in Indian cooking particularly for chutneys, dips and sauces as well as being used to flavour sauces. The tangy flavour is unique and delicious.
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