Tamarind Slices

Garcinia atroviridis; asam gelugur. This resembles asam kandis (below), but the fruit is rather larger. To prepare it for use in cooking, it is thinly sliced and then dried in the sun. In this form, usually labelled ‘Tamarind Slices’, it can be bought in the West, at Oriental or Chinese stores. The slices are more practical if you are making a sauce, which already has a lot of liquid. Put in one or two slices, and they will give the same delicate sourness as tamarind water. They will swell up during cooking, and you need to discard them before serving.