Fearless with Flavour #3 - tamarind
How to use this tangy fruit to amp up your cooking.
Kia ora friends,
This week is episode three in my ‘Fearless with Flavour’ series. We’ve already talked all things spicy with Korean gochujang and episode 2 saw us get that umami hit with white miso, so this week I thought we’d look at an ingredient that brings more of the sweet and the sour to the flavour party.
Tamarind is a tree native to tropical Africa but widely grown in parts of Asia and Central America. While completely unrelated, its leaf architecture and pod-like seeds remarkably remind me of the Kōwhai tree native to Aotearoa, New Zealand, although the tamarind grows much larger and produces edible fruits, so their similarities are only superficial. I’ve never actually seen a tamarind tree up close - last year a friend in the Dominican Republic showed me around a park he thought had tamarind growing in it, but we had to settle for countless mango trees instead - how good!
The edible part of the tamarind is the sweet, tangy pulp contained in the pod-like legume fruit it produces. In countries where it is grown, you can buy the tamarind pods in their whole form, but in New Zealand and most western countries its most common form is tamarind paste, made from the pulp of the fruit and found in the International section of most supermarkets. Tamarind paste is one of my favourite condiments to have on hand in the kitchen. Its sweetness can be used to add balance to savoury dishes without adding sugar, and also makes it a crossover ingredient that goes well in sweet dishes. It has a delicious citrus-like zing which makes it perfect for adding a flavour lift to curries, dressings, sauces and the like. In fact it’s a staple ingredient in some of the most popular foods in the world: pad Thai, massaman curry and Worcestershire sauce all have tamarind to thank for their signature taste.
While the easiest way to source tamarind paste is by picking up a jar from your local, the cheapest and best way to get tamarind paste is actually by making your own at home - I know, it sounds a bit extra, but it’s worth it. Homemade tamarind paste is undoubtedly superior to the store-bought stuff - the flavour is better, it’s cheaper, and there’s no hidden preservatives. It’s also remarkably easy to make. It is made with tamarind pulp which can be purchased from most Asian food stores and some supermarkets. If you struggle to find it, then using regular store-bought paste is a fine alternative.
Homemade tamarind paste
Hands-on Time: 5 minutes // Total Time: 50 minutes // makes 400g tamarind paste
Ingredients:
400g tamarind pulp
400ml boiling water
Method:
First soak the tamarind pulp. Place the block of tamarind pulp in a medium-large bowl. Pour over the boiling water and using a spoon, break up the tamarind pulp a little - this will speed up the soaking process. Set aside for 40 minutes to soak.
Spoon half the soaked tamarind into a sieve placed over a large bowl. Using the back of a spoon, firmly push as much of the tamarind pulp through the sieve as you can, scraping the bottom of the sieve intermittently to release the sieved pulp into the bowl below. Continue until most of the pulp has been squeezed through the sieve, so only the tamarind fibres remain. Discard the tamarind fibres, and repeat with the remaining soaked tamarind, pressing the pulp through the sieve into the bowl. You will be left with a smooth and glossy tamarind paste.
To store, transfer the paste to a large jar and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Alternatively, freeze in ice cube trays, transfer the frozen tamarind cubes to a container and freeze for up to 6 months - defrost and use as needed.
A taste for tamarind
So the question is, how do we use tamarind in our everyday cooking? For some of you, tamarind paste may already be a regular in your repertoire, but for those of you who are new to team tamarind, this week I’m sharing some easy and delicious recipes to entice you to start using this superpower ingredient in your home kitchen.
Everyone loves a stir-fry, and tamarind brings a sweet & sour vibe to my recipe for Sticky tamarind tofu with lime curry noodles. Cubes of tofu are coated in cornflour, fried till crispy, then coated in a sticky glaze made with tamarind, soy sauce and maple syrup that’s pretty irresistible. Paired with a bed of Singapore-style noodles flavoured with fresh lime and curry powder, it’s easy weeknight cooking at its best.
Another excellent way to use tamarind paste is in salad dressings. Here’s a quick and easy peanut-tamarind dressing to throw together: in a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic finely grated, ½ red chilli finely chopped, juice of 1 lemon and sea salt to taste.
I mentioned earlier that tamarind paste also goes well in desserts - next time you make a salted caramel I suggest you try adding 1 tbsp tamarind paste. It gives the caramel a deliciously fruity punch. With winter arriving in the Southern Hemisphere it means we’re heading into crumble season, and my plant-based recipe for Pineapple + tamarind crumble with peanuts + coconut is not to be missed. Tamarind lends itself well to tropical fruits, and it's delicious here as part of a pineapple and apple filling, topped with a crumble mixture made from peanut butter, thread coconut, cardamom and ginger.
Be sure to keep scrolling further as this week’s newsletter-exclusive Mood Booster recipe is quite possibly my pick of the week - I’m a sucker for a crunchy roast potato!
It’s been so awesome for me to see more and more people signing up to share in my fortnightly food ramblings. Thanks to everyone who’s spread the word to their friends and whānau - the more people who can share in the deliciousness the better! Stay tuned, some extra exciting news to share with you all in next fortnight’s edition.
Much love,
Alby xx
This week’s MOOD BOOSTER
Masala potatoes with tamarind yoghurt and best onion pickle
Tamarind is a common ingredient in Indian cooking, and this recipe is deeply rooted in Indian flavours. The potatoes are beautifully crunchy, thanks to being parboiled then thrown straight into hot oil and roasted at a high temperature. A highlight is the ‘best onion pickle’ which I suggest you make outside of this recipe for a quick flavour boost to any meal; it’s big on lime, chilli, mint and toasted spices.
Ingredients:
Masala potatoes
70ml canola oil
1kg agria potatoes, peeled and chopped into 4cm chunks
1 tbsp + ½ tsp sea salt
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp finely chopped mint
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
Best onion pickle
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 lime
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp roughly chopped mint, plus extra to serve
¾ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp sea salt
Tamarind yoghurt
300g unsweetened Greek-style coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp tamarind paste
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
finely grated zest and juice of ½ lime
½ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
sea salt, to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (or 220°C conventional).
For the masala potatoes, pour the canola oil into a large roasting dish and place in the oven to heat. Place the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to the boil over high heat and parboil the potatoes for about 5-10 minutes, until a knife can go easily through the outer edge but they are still firm in the centre. Drain the water from the potatoes then return to low heat and stir for 1 minute to dry out the potatoes a little. Remove from the heat and give the saucepan a decent shake to fluff up the potato edges. Add the garam masala and mint, tossing to coat the potatoes. Carefully remove the roasting dish of hot oil from the oven. Add the potatoes and carefully toss to coat with the hot oil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing the potatoes at halfway, until golden, crispy and cooked through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the remaining ½ tsp salt and black pepper and toss to coat.
As the potatoes roast, make the best onion pickle. Finely grate the zest of the lime into a small bowl. In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds for a minute or two until fragrant and starting to brown. Transfer to the bowl with the lime zest. Cut the lime in half. Return the pan to the heat, add the lime halves cut side facing down, and grill for a few minutes until the flesh is blackened. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the bowl with the zest and seeds. Add the red onion, Once hot, place the half lemon, cut side facing down, into the pan and cook until the cut side is starting to blacken. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the bowl with the zest. Add the sliced red onion, chopped mint, chilli flakes and salt. Toss to evenly coat and set aside to pickle.
For the tamarind yoghurt, in a bowl, whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Season to taste with a little sea salt if desired and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, spread the tamarind yoghurt over the base of a large serving platter. Top with the warm masala potatoes, seeded onion pickle and a generous sprinkling of chopped mint.
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ)
Limes - $4.99/kg at the supermarket last week
Apples
Broccoli
Pears
Last feijoas
Early mandarins
Gold kiwifruit
Early leeks
Kitchen music of the moment
I’ve recently come across American soul singer Leon Bridges (thanks Spotify - what a world we live in!) and have been enjoying meandering my way through some of his records. The song that got me interested is called Naomi, off his 2018 album Good Thing - worth a listen.
If indie-folk music is more your vibe, then I recommend you turn your ear to South African/American singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov. His words are rich and vivid, and I particularly like the track Big Black Car, which includes this inspired lyric:
well you were a dancer, i was a rag
the song in my head, well was all that i had
hope was a letter i never could send
love was a country we couldn’t defend
Interesting reads
If you’re on the hunt for a new baking cookbook to level up with, checkout this debut offering from Aucklander Petra Galler, titled Butter, Butter. Cake never looked so good.
Kiwiharvest is an epic NZ food rescue organisation - they’re always looking for volunteers if you’re in their area.
Why do some foods taste better the next day?
As we head into winter, consider why is comfort food so comforting?