A White Guy's Guide to Thai | Tamarind Concentrate

Tamarind Concentrate

Thai food is a world of its own, especially as a non-Thai amateur cook. The flavors and the use of ingredients outside my areas of expertise were daunting when I first tried to take on Thai cooking. However, once I got some practice, it wasn't as challenging as it seemed. I decided to write this recipe after a frustrating afternoon searching high and low for tamarind concentrate and coming up empty handed. My local Asian market only sold tamarind pulp, a precursor to the concentrate. In thirty minutes I was able to make a large quantity of concentrate from the pulp with relative ease. Best of all, it can be stored in the refrigerator and keeps well for weeks. One will need a pot, a hand potato masher, a cheese cloth or large sieve, a small sized bowl, and a mason jar (or the like) for storing the concentrate.

Ingredients

8 oz. tamarind pulp, 95% or more seedless

2 1/2 cups water

Directions

• Add 2 and 1/2 cups water to pot and bring to just below a boil.

• Turn off the heat.

• Immerse the 8 oz. tamarind pulp block in the hot water and let sit for 7 to 10 minutes with the top on the pot.

• Use a fork, if needed to facilitate the 'melting' down process.

• Gently mash the tamarind with the potato masher, and stir, until the consistency of the mixture resembles a thick soup.

• Set aside and let cool until warm, and able to be handled.

• Finally, unwrap the cheese cloth or large sieve and position it over the bowl.

• Pour the 'mash' into the cloth and gather the ends of the cloth into the palm of your hand, enclosing the 'mash'.

• Holding the cloth by the ends, and above the bowl, twist the ball of 'mash' and gently squeeze to help extract all the liquid from the pulp.

• Throw away the pulp once most of the liquid has been extracted.

• Pour the strained liquid into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.

• After simmering for a few minutes, once quite thick, remove the pan from heat and pour into mason jar.

• This concentrate can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator.

bon appetit