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tamarind paste in a glass jar.

How to Make Tamarind Paste from Pulp


  • Author: Suwanee
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2.5 cups 1x
  • Diet: Low Calorie

Description

Tamarind is a popular ingredient used in Thai cooking in many savory dishes as a souring agent. Learn how to make tamarind paste from pulp using blocks of tamarind.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Boil enough water to have 2-3 cups of hot water. While the water is going, cut the tamarind block in half and place it in a large bowl.
  2. Pour boiling water over the tamarind pulp in the bowl. Use a heat-safe bowl and a wire rack under the bowl to protect your counter. Soak the tamarind for 15-20 minutes, allowing the pulp to soften and release its flavor. 
  3. Once the water is cool enough to handle, use a fork or your fingers to break the tamarind paste into small pieces. Mesh the paste until soft and the fiber of tamarind pulp and seeds have loosened. You'll get a fibrous sauce like the image below. 
  4. Place a clean glass bowl in the bottom of the strainer, then pour the tamarind puree through a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Doing it in the sink helps with the cleaning-up process. This part tends to get a little messy. Don't wear white clothes and put on your apron! (:
  5. Next, we'll extract the tamarind into a liquid concentrate by meshing, pushing, rubbing, and squeezing the gooey brown sauce in the fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl at the bottom. Use your fork and your fingers to squeeze every last ounce out. Check the bottom of your strainer. This is where a lot of the paste-like to hide! (: 
  6. Pour the tamarind pulp into glass jars, cover, and leave in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Discard the solids in the strainer. That's it. It's ready for use! You can stop here or take it further to keep the tamarind longer. 

Steps 7-9 are optional. If you don't use tamarind paste as often as I do in your cooking, this step is recommended as it helps to keep the tamarind paste last longer in the refrigerator. 

Step 7. Boil the tamarind concentrate to help it last longer in the refrigerator and freezer. Mine never lasted more than 3 weeks, so I hardly ever boiled my tamarind pulp. See the section on how to use your tamarind concentrate below.

Step 8 Transfer the tamarind water to a saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from stovetop.

Step 9. Let the paste cool completely. Once cooled, transfer it to a tight container or glass jar with a lid. Cooked tamarind paste can be stored in the refrigerator for 6 months.

Notes

  • If you don't use tamarind often, reduce this recipe in half and use only 1/4 of the tamarind paste instead of 1/2 of the amount specified in my recipe card.
  • Keep the left tamarind paste in a tightly wrapped package for your next use. It has a long shelf life of up to 3 months in the pantry and up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
  • When purchasing tamarind pulp, look for a Thai brand for the best results since we will use tamarind paste for Thai recipes. 
  • To break down tamarind pulp, use a potato masher or your hands to separate the pulp. Use kitchen gloves to squeeze the paste.
  • Use cheesecloth instead if you don't have a fine mesh strainer. It might take some squeezing to extract the pulp, but it works! 
  • Protect your counter using a cooking wire rack to place under the glass bowl with hot water and tamarind pulp.

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  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Category: Sauces
  • Method: Homemade
  • Cuisine: Thai Food

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