Najmieh Batmanglij

Tamarind Paste

Appears in
Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey
Silk Road Cooking

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2000

  • About
The following recipe, made from dried tamarind, requires 10 minutes’ preparation and 40 minutes’ cooking, and produces about ½ pint of paste.
  • Place 1 pound dried tamarind pods in a large saucepan, cover them with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, adding more water if the pan becomes dry.
  • Place a fine mesh colander or strainer over a bowl and pour in the softened tamarind pods with their liquid. With a masher, crush the pods to force out as much liquid as possible; you may pour a little boiling water over the pods to force more of their juice out. The strained juice will be thick and pasty. Transfer it to a dry jar, cap tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.