Tamarind

[rburganmckinley]

I have this ingredient assigned to me for our next cooking club. Anyone have any good recipes that use tamarind? I've done a little searching, but nothing seems to jump out at me...

[Terrytx]

What sort of dish are you looking for-Entree, side....?

[Kayaksoup]

I am sure if you searched you came across my recent thread asking for ideas. i got a really great recipe for Lamb which can easily be transferred to other meats and even vegetables - I know, I tried it.

[Salsera]

A traditional south Indian dish made with tamarind is rasam. It's a tomato infused broth that can be eaten as a soup or over rice. I also make a pineapple rasam and an apple rasam. Both great! It uses just a small bit of tamarind concentrate. Let me know if want any of these recipes.

[bobmark226]

I have to admit that one of the laughs that I've had these past two weeks was that, given how often the subject of "what do I do with this tamarind paste?" comes up here, was that from the cabinet in the immediate flames, which the firemen pulled off the wall, the jar of tamarind paste rolled out and survived and laid on the floor for a week. Based on this, I think tamarind paste is like cockroaches: it has always been here and always will be. :)

Bob

[blazedog]

Cooks Illustrated (ATC) has a delicious pad thai made with tamarind paste.

[AdGirl]

you can't make this with tamarind paste, you need the blocks of tamarind you can buy at indian stores.

it is a tamarind margarita that they serve at the nyc restaurant tabla. i tried to post the recipe from the food and wine website (which has it) but i don't have the code... anyone?

it's a really wonderful margarita, i highly recommend it! :)

[rburganmckinley]

I'd be interested in that Margarita recipe as well as the Rasam.

Thanks for the ideas!

[AdGirl]

ok i was sneaky and was able to pull the recipe off the site without a code. here it is, enjoy!!! :D

Tamarind Margarita

MAKES 4 DRINKS

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (see Note)
3 tablespoons water
1 cup Herradura Silver tequila
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
Crushed ice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh limejuice
1/4 cup Cointreau
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt mixed with 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
4 lime wedges

In a saucepan, simmer the tamarind and water over low heat, stirring, until the pulp dissolves. Press the mixture into a shaker through a fine-mesh sieve. Add 1/2 cup of the tequila and the sugar; shake vigorously. Add ice to the shaker, then add 1/2 cup of lime juice, the Cointreau, the orange juice and the remaining 1/2 cup of tequila; shake well.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and the salt mixture into 2 bowls. Dip the rims of 4 old-fashioned glasses first in the lime juice and then in the salt mixture. Fill the glasses with ice. Strain the drink into the glasses and garnish with the lime wedges

NOTE: Tamarind pulp is available at Asian and Middle Eastern markets and specialty food shops