Tamarind Liquid Food

TAMARIND LIQUID

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the tamarind pulp and water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep and soften for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily press the pulp against the side of the pan with a fork.
• Roughly break up the pulp to make it easier to strain. Position a coarse-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour in the tamarind. Using a rubber spatula or metal spoon, vigorously stir and press the solids against the mesh to force as much of the pulp through as possible. If necessary, return the pulp to the saucepan, add some of the already-strained liquid, stir to loosen up more of the pulp, and then work it through the sieve again. When the pulp is spent, discard the fibrous left overs. The resulting liquid will resemble chocolate cake batter.
• Use the liquid immediately, or pour into ice-cube trays and freeze. Note how much each tamarind cube contains; it is typically about 2 tablespoons. Once the cubes are frozen hard, transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To make sure you use the correct amount of the liquid in a recipe, always measure it again before adding it.

TAMARIND PASTE

Steps:

• Separate the tamarind into small chunks and place the fruit into a medium heatproof bowl. (If using whole tamarind pods, remove and discard the outer shell and use the soft fruit inside.)
• Pour the boiling water over the tamarind, submerge completely, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir the tamarind occasionally with a fork at first, then, as the water cools, rub the fruit between your fingers to separate it from the seeds. The mixture will turn thick and pulpy.
• Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and pass the mixture through to remove any fibrous materials and seeds, pressing firmly with a large spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible and scraping the tamarind from the bottom of the strainer into the bowl. The final consistency should be thick, almost like ketchup. Transfer the tamarind paste to a clean jar or container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.