Tamarind Liquid

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tamarind pulp
1 cup warm water

Instructions:

Place the sticky, gooey tamarind pulp in a small bowl and add the warm water. Let it stand for 20-30 minutes, poking and mashing it occasionally with your fingers or a spoon to break the sticky lump into pieces and help it dissolve.

Pour the tamarind pulp and water through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to work the tamarind pulp well, pressing the softened pulp against the sieve to extract as much thick brown liquid as you can. Scrape the outside of the sieve often to capture the thick purée that accumulates there. Discard the pulp, fibers, and seeds that have collected in the sieve and thin the tamarind liquid with water as needed until it is about the consistency of pea soup or softly whipped cream.

Use as directed in recipes, or seal airtight and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It sours and sharpens as it stands, so if it has stood for several days, taste it and adjust the flavor with some sugar.

Recipe from “Real Vegetarian Thai” by Nancie McDermott Chronicle Books, May 12, 1997 ISBN 0-8118-1151-4.