Tamarind

Tamarind is available in several different forms: as whole ripe pods, which you can shell, soak, and push through a sieve to remove the seeds and fibers; as blocks of stiff tamarind pulp, which also need to be soaked and strained; and as tamarind concentrate, sold in squat plastic jars. If you’re using concentrate rather than the reconstituted pulp, reduce the amount in the recipe by half.