Tamarind paste

Pâte de tamarin

What it is

The name comes from the Arabic tamr hindi, date of India, although the tree is African - medieval traders carried it east and the misnomer travelled with it. Its sourness is mostly tartaric acid, the acid of grapes rather than of lemons, which is why it reads round and deep where citrus reads sharp.

In the kitchen

Block tamarind is soaked twenty minutes in hot water and pushed through a sieve; the jarred concentrate is two to three times stronger and much darker, so start at a third of the quantity and taste. It thickens as it reduces - add it early in a curry for body, late in a dressing for edge.

Goes with

Palm sugar Fish sauce Chili pepper Garlic Ginger Coconut milk Peanut Shallot

Same species

Tamarind

Also used with

Byadgi chilli Kala namak (Indian black salt) Kluwak Nam prik pao Pigeon pea (toor dal) Rice paddy herb (ngò om)

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