Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Hints, Tips, Methods and so on.. => Spices => Topic started by: chipfryer on September 25, 2007, 08:16 PM
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I've searched this forum many times but have only found a few references for its use in cooking Indian food.
I know of at least 4 restaurants that use this. Of course there are so many varieties that are on sale IE dried, Powdered, raw etc that it can be hard to find what really is used?
Can anyone help, or has anyone actually used it as I have? That and Fenugreek are the tastes I love from Indian cooking apart from the normal spices but I firmly believe they are as predominant as cummin for example.
Thoughts?
Best.
Chippy
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Hi chipfryer, ;) I have just got my hands on a block of Tamarind (25p from ASDA) and was wondering what to do with it. So, any ideas team?? ;D
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Hi chipfryer, ;) I have just got my hands on a block of Tamarind (25p from ASDA) and was wondering what to do with it. So, any ideas team?? ;D
With Tamarind blocks you need to extract the flavour (you do not use any of the solids)
Soak the block or part of it in boiling water in a bowl until softened.
Break it up and give it a good mix until you think you have a extracted all the solubles.
Then sieve the lot into a bowl sqeezing the mix with a spoon to get the liquid out, then throw away the solids.
Use the liquid part as dictated by your recipe.
Jethro
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Hi folks.
From what I remember back home our Indian stores are way better stocked than the street corner type back home. 45 miles away. (Yes I know thats a hike). There are about 10 different Indian grocery stores but like everything else in America these are huge places just like our supermarkets.
Tamarind that I've seen comes in about 6 different varieties. I have both concentrate (You can eat that alone! Yummy) and a powder that I bought the other day.
To be honest I've used neither in any real hard form other than a quick meal which was already made better by adding 2 tbs's of concentrate.
Thanks for the replies - Looking forward to learning more.
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Hi chipfryer
If you're after specific curries to use it in then try a pathia or a dhansak. The restaurants will generally use bottled lemon juice but tamarind gives an extra kick. Totally agree about the concentrate, it's delish just on its own and it's what i use.
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Thanks Secret Santa.
This coming week I'm about to run a few tests before I use any meat and see what variations I can find. I think its the Tamarind that I like personally the local restaurant here uses it and one place back home had a chicken vindi you would die for using it.
Absolutely yes, very delish! ;D
Best.
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Hi,
Tamarind, Jaggery and salt are used
to make a pathia like curry.
hope this help.
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sorry,
Patia, pathia or Patea
you get the idea i am sure.
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I was going to say, but graeme beat me to it, you should definitely try jaggery as the sweetener and it's superb with the tamarind.
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You might want to check out the "tamarind dipping sauce" recipe here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1975.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1975.0)
You can use jaggery, as the sugar, if you like
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Sorry Cory Ander I missed this. ???
Liked you flaming cooking images. I want one now of course (Gas grill). ;D
There is a form of tamarind we have here that looks like......... Well a dogs penis. Sorry but thinking about another post I made on secret spices I'll probably get this variant this weekend and see what results I get.
Many thanks for the reply.
Best.
You might want to check out the "tamarind dipping sauce" recipe here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1975.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1975.0)
You can use jaggery, as the sugar, if you like
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Hi All, first post despite lurking for a while! :)
I use Tamarind concentrate in a prawn curry that's very basic, ie not many ingredients. It calls for four tbsp of tamarind juice, I have cut this back to two tbsp of concentrate and still found that I needed to increase the jaggery to just offset the 'tartness' of the tamarind a little. But I agree that tamarind is just great as a souring agent and adds a much better 'flavour' than either lemon juice or amchur (mango) powder.
Just felt the need to point out that you may need to experiment with the quantities when using the concentrate, or you may find the curry just too sour.
ATB
Max
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Thanks for your post Bachstrad, you've input is as valuable as anyone else's...so don't be shy in coming forward! 8)
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Hi
I've just posted a paste recipe where i have used tamarind water ie tamarind pulp golf ball size soaked with 6 floz boiling water. leave 20 mins and press thru a sieve.
the taste is unique - sour but very palatable and can be tempered with jaggery (raw palm sugar) but go easy with either, the idea being to get benefit from both and not one dominating taste. invariably the first attempt will involve putting one in the pan after the other for a while til ya get it spot on. when ya do its amazing - i'm an advocate of tamarind and indeed kola if ya can get that.
cheers
Cleggy
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Your the man! ;D
What is Kola? Not something that lives up a tree right? ::)
Please educate. ;D
Hi
I've just posted a paste recipe where i have used tamarind water ie tamarind pulp golf ball size soaked with 6 floz boiling water. leave 20 mins and press thru a sieve.
the taste is unique - sour but very palatable and can be tempered with jaggery (raw palm sugar) but go easy with either, the idea being to get benefit from both and not one dominating taste. invariably the first attempt will involve putting one in the pan after the other for a while til ya get it spot on. when ya do its amazing - i'm an advocate of tamarind and indeed kola if ya can get that.
cheers
Cleggy
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Big apologies - its not kola, its cocum!! my reference is Camellia Panjabi's 50 great curries - i have bought cocum from The spice shop online and has a very similar effect to tamarind i wouldn't bother with the expence of being so authentic!!
Cleggy
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I have that.
Like dried mushrooms right? Cocum Phool I think they call it?
Big apologies - its not kola, its cocum!! my reference is Camellia Panjabi's 50 great curries - i have bought cocum from The spice shop online and has a very similar effect to tamarind i wouldn't bother with the expence of being so authentic!!
Cleggy
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Interestingly though, cola can be used as a meat tenderiser. It's used in some barbeque ribs recipes.
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Is that so? Blimey that is one hell of a drink ;D Good info. Now I just need summer back. :-\
Interestingly though, cola can be used as a meat tenderiser. It's used in some barbeque ribs recipes.