Tamarind Granita Food

TAMARIND AND POMEGRANATE GRANITAS

Steps:

• Combine the tamarind paste and 3 cups water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until paste is very soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a strainer and press on the solids until you have extracted 1 1/2 cups of juice and pulp. Discard solids. Place liquid in a small container.
• Bring 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir this into the liquid. Let come to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a small container and stir in the pomegranate juice and lime juice. Let come to room temperature.
• Place the tamarind and pomegranate mixtures in the freezer. When they're frozen, use a thin-tined fork to flake the ices (the tamarind will be a little sticky) and transfer each to an airtight container. Freeze again. To serve, place small scoops of each granita side by side in dessert bowls or stemmed glasses and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

TAMARINDO MARGARITA

Steps:

• Rub the rim of a glass with lime and dip in Tajín. Combine 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila (such as El Jimador), 1 1/2 ounces tamarind puree, 1/2 ounce agave nectar and 1/4 ounce fresh lime juice in a shaker with ice; shake until cold. Fill the prepared glass with ice, then strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lime slice.

CAMPARI & ORANGE GRANITA

Steps:

• First make the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and water in small saucepan and boil over high heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Pour the sugar syrup into a 10 x 13 x 2-inch ceramic dish and stir in the orange juice, Campari, and lemon juice. Carefully place the dish on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze for one hour, rake the granita with a large dinner fork, and return it to the freezer. Rake the granite every 30 minutes, until it's firm and granular. This should take a several hours. Serve frozen in pretty bowls or stemmed martini glasses.

TAMARIND GRANITA

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine water and sugar, bring to boil then remove from heat.
• Add tamarind concentrate then cool to room temperature
• Throw mixture into an ice cream maker for 20-25 minutes than store in the freezer.
• The mixture will not harden like sorbet.