How to make Tamarind Pulp?

In my article Allahabad - The City of Good Food, I have mentioned a tasty beverage called Jeera Jal which means cumin water. This cool beverage is prepared by mixing water with Cumin Powder, Black and White Salts, Tamarind Pulp with a little Mint paste. This is a cool refreshing beverage and is often served as a summer drink in India. 

Tamarind is an important part of Indian cuisine and is used in a variety of chutneys and dishes. If you have never tasted tamarind before, mind it, it’s very tart. Tasting Tamarind can be potent on your taste buds so just dip a finger into the pulp and then suck on it, you will instantly feel all the taste buds drooling trying to immerse themselves in the new flavor.

In North India Tamarind is often sold as a candied toffee with a coating of sugar on top of dried Tamarind. Teenagers love to eat Tamarind because of its sweet tangy taste but it also has many health benefits. People often consume it for digestion relation issues and also for swollen joints. It is also known to be used for metal polishing. Tamarind pulp is used in many other cuisines as well, in fact, I read somewhere that it is also used in the famous Worcestershire sauce. 

I always make a Tamarind pulp before adding it in any of my dishes. This ensures that we are not accidentally chewing on its seed. To make the pulp, cut a small piece of Tamarind with a sharp knife and put it in a bowl with a cup of water. Put the bowl inside the microwave and heat it on high for 1- 2 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes you will see the pulp has started melting. You can now mash it easily with your fingers. Strain it using a fine mesh strainer and you got your pulp. Use it in chutneys, Sambar or Jeera Jal.

Recommended Reading:

• Allahabad - The City of Good Food
• Sambar (South Indian lentils and vegetable soup)
• Tamarind Chutney – sweetness with tang
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)