How to make Tamarind Paste / Concentrate

3/4/2013

Make your tamarind paste at home and store for 2-3 months. It tastes better than the ready made paste. Tamarind paste will be very handy when you are making chutneys, pulusu, tamarind rice etc.

What you need
A tamarind block. Tamarind blocks are available in Indian stores, Asian markets or International markets. They are with seed or without seed. You may get any of them.

Preparation
Place the tamarind block in a container and pour hot water until it is covered. Let the tamarind soak in hot water for 15-30 minutes.

Procedure
After 30 minutes of soaking squish the tamarind with your hand and remove the seeds and strings. Even if the packet says seedless tamarind, you may find some seeds. Remove them all but keep the inner skin. Now you have soaked and soft tamarind. Take this into your blender along with water and blend it into a smooth paste. You may add little more water if you need your blender to run smoothly. But do not add too much water. Take this paste into a thick bottom pan. Now start cooking this tamarind paste on a low or low medium heat. Keep stirring in between. Do not let the bottom burn as it changes the taste of tamarind. Let all the moisture evaporate and then turn off the stove. Tamarind paste may get fungus if it has moisture. Let it cool down completely.

How to store
You may store this in a bottle and keep in the refrigeration section if you are going to use in 1 or 2 weeks.
If you are going to keep more than 2 weeks or if you make a large batch, keep a small amount in the refrigerator and freeze the rest in plastic containers.
You may pour the tamarind paste in ice trays and once it is frozen, keep the frozen tamarind cubes in zip lock bags and store in freezer. You can take these cubes whenever you need and use them.
This frozen tamarind paste will be good for more then 6 months.
Please feel free to write your comments and suggestions below.
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