Versatile Tamarind Date Paste
A delicious Tamarind Date paste that uses apple cider vinegar and coconut sugar to play up it's sweet and tangy undertones - and a smidge of chili powder to throw in a spicy twist - which makes this one heck of a tasty paste to enjoy plain or in curries, roasted dishes and soups!
- Prep time
- 50 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 12 tamarind pods
- 1.5 cup hot water (not boiling, I microwaved mine for about 1.30 minutes)
- 1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
- 1 cup hot water (again - not boiling either)
- couple pinches salt
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- a pinch orange zest
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- 1
Remove the shells of the tamarind pods.
- 2
Then separate the spidery vein from it.
- 3
Add the 1.5 cups of hot water to the peeled tamarind pods and let it sit for about 40 minutes or so.
- 4
Meanwhile, soak the dates in the 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes
- 5
Then, add the date/water mix into a blender and pulse till a paste is formed (only takes a few seconds)
- 6
When the 40 minutes or so are up, the peeled, gooey, tamarind pods should be softened, so, using your hands or a fork, mash them up well.
- 7
Then, ran the water/tamarind mix through a strain and separate the shells and their "husks" from the tamarind paste.
- 8
Add this paste to a pan over a low flame.
- 9
Then add in the date paste into it, along with the coconut sugar, chili powder, apple cider vinegar and stir for 10 minutes.
- 10
The mixture should darken some.
- 11
Remove from the heat and add in the pinch of orange zest.
- 12
Can be enjoyed as is or stored in an airtight glass jar and used as needed.