How Much Tamarind Concentrate Is Equivalent To Tamarind Pulp?
It is fairly to easy to find tamarind pods in Manhattan’s Chinatown. They look like fava bean pods that have dried out and turned brown as a paper bag. The advantage of getting the pods is that you control how much sugar goes into the recipe. You also end up with a much fresher tasting product than the pastes you buy.You snip open the pods, and use the dull side of the knife to scrape out the fleshy part along with the seeds. The pods are brittle, so this takes some skill. You may find that a short soak in cold water will make it easier to deal with the pods. The type that you find in CT own seem to be the uniformly sour type. In Southeast Asian markets, you will see another type which is naturally sweet. Place the contents of the pod in a small bowl of hot water and let it steep much as you would do with dried mushrooms. Knead the pulp to release more of the solids into the water. Since it doesn’t keep that well in the fridge (a week at most), I would only make enough for one or two m
