How to Make Tamarind Liquid

Tamarind is a podded fruit that grows on large trees.

It adds a deliciously tangy note to many Asian dishes.

For a whole 225g block (about ¾ cup) of tamarind pulp you’ll need 1½ cups warm water to yield about 1 cup of thick tamarind liquid.

To make a smaller quantity, mix 60g tamarind pulp with 100ml warm water to yield about ¼ cup of thick tamarind liquid.

You’ll also need:

Here’s how to make thick sweet-sour tamarind liquid for use in any recipe. (see step-by-step video above):

Combine 1 part tamarind pulp with 1.6 parts warm water in a large bowl.
Set aside for 10 minutes or so until pulp has softened a little.
Knead it well in the water to extract the pulp from the seeds.
Press through a fine sieve, using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, to remove as much tamarind liquid as possible.
Use immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a week.
Wrap any unused tamarind pulp back in its protective plastic, place back in the plastic sleeve and refrigerate; it’ll keep almost indefinitely stored like this.

Now you know how to make tamarind liquid you can cook rasam (Indian pepper soup), Singaporean fish head curry, sambal goreng (fried chilli paste), udang bakar (Indonesian roast prawns), Thai chilli jam, the best satay sauce.