Recipe For Making Tamarind At Home

Tamarind is a tropical fruit native to Africa. Currently, its cultivation has spread widely in Asia and America. Its consumption in Europe has become popular in recent years. The tamarind fruit is brown and belongs to the legume family, such as lentils and chickpeas.

Inside its rind, there is an acidic pulp that can be slightly sweet according to its ripe state. This fruit is used in many recipes around the world, especially in side dishes and drinks.

Tamarind nutritional properties

According to data published in SELF Nutrition Data, among the main nutritional properties of tamarind is its high carbohydrate content. In addition, it contains vegetable proteins composed of several amino acids, such as tryptophan, methionine and lysine.

It also provides soluble fiber, such as pectin, and vitamins A, B3 and C. As for the beneficial minerals present in tamarind, we can find magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus.

Finally, according to a study published in Pharmacognosy Reviews , tamarind has a low fat content and serves as a laxative, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, among others.

Recipe for preparing tamarind water

This drink is very common in Mexican cuisine and allows you to enjoy the aforementioned benefits and nutrients of tamarind. It is a delicious drink that has a very special touch thanks to the acidic taste of this fruit.

Furthermore, the use of sugar or stevia provides a sweet taste that makes this interesting drink to please everyone. However, avoid sugar if your nutritionist suggests it.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of brown sugar (60 g).
• 1 cup of dried tamarind (200 g)
• 2 liters of water.

Preparation

• First, peel the fruit to remove the pods.
• Once peeled, place the tamarind pods in a liter of boiling water so that they soften and begin to release the pulp.
• After keeping the tamarinds in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, remove the pods and allow the extracted juice to cool.
• While it cools, place the softened pods in a mortar and crush them to finish extracting all the pulp.
• At this point it will be easy to extract the seeds from the tamarind, as the pulp can be easily removed. After all are removed, place the pulp in the water and mix well.
• Finally, put the water with the pulp in a blender and add the sugar and the rest of the liter of water.

• Mix well for a smooth, well-integrated result.
• Then the tamarind water will be ready. You can serve it in glasses with lots of ice to make it more watery or sweeten it to taste.

Tamarind Sauce Recipe

Another interesting recipe for preparing tamarind at home is to make a sauce that can be excellent for a dish of squid or chicken.  Its preparation is very simple.

Ingredients

• 1 clove of garlic (2 g)
• 1 chipotle pepper (4 g).
• 1/4 red onion (50 g).
• 1 spoon of sugar (10 g).
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 g).
• 2 cups of tamarind pulp (200 g).

Note: Tamarind pulp can be purchased packaged for ease of use. However, if you are looking to give a personal and original touch to your recipe, you can get the pulp from dried tamarinds. Just follow the same steps as the tamarind water recipe.

Preparation

• Start by peeling the tamarinds and pouring the pods into boiling water.
• Remove the softened pods after about 15 minutes and remove the seeds from inside.
• Then put the oil to heat.
• Add the minced garlic and onion, along with the tamarind pulp.
• After allowing the pulp to continue to soften for a few minutes, lower the heat to minimum and add the slightly chopped chipotle pepper, plus a touch of salt and pepper.
• Once all ingredients have softened enough, place everything in a blender.
• To finish the recipe, beat the mixture until you get a smooth sauce.
• Let it cool so it thickens before you can use it.

Are you excited to try these easy tamarind recipes? As you can see, this is a nutritious food that you can enjoy in your kitchen. Purchase it and enjoy its exotic taste.