• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Hot Thai Kitchen
  • Recipes by Categories
  • Kitchen Tips & Ingredients
  • Thailand Vlogs
  • Cookbook
  • Newsletter
  • Patreon
  • Shop Ingredients & Tools
  • Find an Asian Grocer
  • Merch
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes by Categories
  • Kitchen Tips & Ingredients
  • Thailand Vlogs
  • Cookbook
  • Newsletter
  • Patreon
  • Shop Ingredients & Tools
  • Find an Asian Grocer
  • Merch
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Kitchen Tips » Thai Ingredients 101 » How to Make Tamarind Paste from Pulp

    How to Make Tamarind Paste from Pulp

    Published: Sep 13, 2019 · Modified: Jan 4, 2021 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Why You Should Never Buy Tamarind Paste Again

    If you've been buying ready-made tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate for cooking, like I used to, let me tell you why I stopped and what I do now. Growing up in Thailand we always made our own tamarind paste for cooking, but when I arrived in Canada I was delighted by the convenient jars from the store!

    But after years of using it, I don't know if the products became worse or my standards became higher, but I eventually I became more and more dissatisfied with the quality of premade pastes.

    They sometimes started to taste really bland and diluted to me. And while this isn't the case with all brands, all the time, it was inconsistent enough, even within the same brand, to warrant another solution.

    Tamarind pulp (in block form) can be turned into homemade jars of delicious tamarind paste, used in many Thai recipes.

    Why Making it Is the Way to Go

    So I started making it from tamarind pulp, the traditional way, and found the result to be more flavourful, more sour, and also more consistent. Tamarind pulp is that dark brown brick labelled simply as "Tamarind." You can find it at many Asian grocery stores, and it also usually says "seedless" on the package.

    The good news is that it also keeps very well. But to make it last, you have to cook it, and then store it in a well-sealing jar such as mason jars. I now make tamarind using half a pound of pulp per batch, and I only have to make it about twice a year.

    Tamarind pulp commonly sold at Asian markets. It is seedless, but still contains a lot of fibers that need to be strained out.

    How long does homemade tamarind paste last?

    If you cook the paste and store it in a mason jar as per my instructions, it will last up to 6 months, unopened in the fridge. Once it's opened, it has lasted me at least 2 months, but you have to be sure to always use clean utensils to scoop from the jar, and always put it back promptly in the fridge.

    Because of this, I recommend you putting it in small jars, no larger than 1 cup per jar, to maximize its shelf life.

    You can also can the tamarind, like you would jam and other canned products, and it will be shelf-stable. Though I have not personally done this.

    What is tamarind?

    Simply put, tamarind is a fruit. Its sticky brown flesh ranges from being very sweet to very sour, depending on the variety. The sweet ones are for eating fresh, and the sour ones are for turning into a paste for cooking.

    For everything you need to know about tamarind, check out my Ultimate Guide to Tamarind video. I also show you what tamarind looks like in its original pod!

    Fresh tamarind pods.

    Want to learn more about other Thai ingredients?

    Check out my Thai Ingredient Playlist on YouTube where I have informational videos about the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine.

    Recipes with Tamarind

    Now that you've got delicious homemade tamarind paste, try using it in these recipes!

    • Pad Thai Sauce Recipe - Make Pad Thai in 5 Mins!
    • Tamarind Shrimp กุ้งผัดมะขาม (goong pad makam)
    • Gaeng Hung Lay - Northern Pork Belly Curry
    • Thai Green Papaya Salad ส้มตำไทย (som tum)
    tamarind pulp block, tamarind paste in a jar, and tamarind paste in a spoon

    Homemade Tamarind Paste

    Homemade tamarind paste is much better than anything you can buy, and it is easy to make. For the best pad thai, you gotta use homemade tamarind! Be sure to watch the video tutorial below as the process can be much better understood once you see it, and you can also watch it on YouTube.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Cooling time 20 mins
    Course Sauces
    Cuisine Thai
    Servings 2 cups

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ lb seedless tamarind pulp (see note)
    • 2 cups hot water
    Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

    Notes

    Note: Buy tamarind pulp that comes in a rectangular block, and it should be a product of Thailand. Do not use tamarind pulp from whole pods, as those are sweet tamarind meant for eating, not for cooking.

    FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

    All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

    Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

    Instructions
     

    • Use your hands to pull apart the tamarind block into small chunks and place it in a large, heat-proof mixing bowl. Pour the hot water over the tamarind and let it sit until it’s cool enough for you to handle, about 20 minutes, though you can let it sit for as long as you need at this point—the longer it sits, the easier the next step will be.
      ½ lb seedless tamarind pulp (see note), 2 cups hot water
    • Use your hand, preferably gloved if you don’t want tamarind stuck in your nails, to squeeze and scrunch the pulp to loosen it from the fibers. You should end up with something that has a consistency of a smoothie.
    • Once you can feel that most of the pulp has been released from the fibers, strain the tamarind mixture, into a pot through a sieve or a colander, preferably not fine-mesh, as the paste will be thick. Push as much of the liquid through as possible, and scrape the bottom of the sieve occasionally.
    • Gradually pour about ½ cup of room temperature water over the remaining fibers in the sieve while using your hand to mix it around. This will rinse off any last little bit of tamarind still stuck in the fibers.
    • You can use this right away for cooking, but for storage, cook the tamarind paste over medium high-heat until it boils, stirring constantly, as it is quite thick and can bubble and jump at you if you don’t stir. Allow it to bubble for 4-5 minutes to ensure that it is thoroughly heated through before turning off the heat.
    • Transfer the hot tamarind paste to clean, small mason jars, no larger than 1 cup capacity. I like using the smaller ones so each jar will not be open for as long. Close the lids while still hot and and allow it to cool at room temperature before moving them to the fridge for storage. As it cools the lids will be sucked in and it will seal very well, like jam, but since this was not properly canned, you still need to store them in the fridge.
      You can also freeze them in ice cube trays and store the cubes in freezer bags.
    Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!
    Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!
    « Honey Garlic Ribs
    Authentic Pad Thai Recipe ผัดไท »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ed

      October 27, 2021 at 10:43 am

      Can I put the jar in the fridge right after it’s been boil or do I wait for the paste to cool down?

      Reply
      • Junaidi Aminuddin

        November 29, 2021 at 3:13 am

        No harm for the tamarind paste, but not good for your fridge. Always good practice to let anything cool down before putting in fridge.

        Reply
    2. Yvonne Roberts

      September 30, 2021 at 11:17 am

      Love your Pad Thai recipe. Thank you for emphasizing that we should boil the paste once we soak the block of Tamarin and squish it through a strainer. You should add this part to the recipe on how to make Pad Thai . Your recipe is the best. I make it all the time and everyone loves it. When making the paste, a trick I use is that I put my clean jar in the oven to warm them. I put the lids in a pot of boiling water. When I put the paste in the jars and put on the lids (fingertip tight) the lids seal. This may help to preserve the paste longer and in a safer manner.

      Reply
    3. Oscar Pinlac

      August 27, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      The only trick that might possibly work is getting one of those coffee strainers with plunger, where you can probably squeeze out the thick slurry. But you still have to clean that equipment afterwards, an added dish to wash.

      Reply
      • Patty

        December 29, 2021 at 3:36 am

        Hi Pailin, how long would you process in a hot water bath (as for jam) for longer shelf life? Or would pressure canning be better?

        Reply
        • Pailin Chongchitnant

          December 30, 2021 at 3:04 pm

          Hot water bath or pressure canning would be fine, as to how long I'm not entirely sure but I think it would be the same as if you were to make jam.

          Reply
    4. Tony

      July 02, 2021 at 8:26 am

      Is there a particular brand of a tamarind block you used in the video?

      Reply
    5. Jim

      May 26, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      Cooked in a stainless steel pot that had some hard water stains and it ate them away. Washed the pot after and it was spotless. Possible side benefit of boiling paste is as a stainless steel cleaner. 😉
      However if that acidic probably better to use enameled cast iron or non stick so there is no chance of reacting with the pot.

      Reply
      • Adam The HTK Minion

        May 28, 2021 at 8:40 am

        Hi Jim! ... and lol re using it as a cleaner 🙂 Re acidic ingredients though and reacting with the pot itself you might be thinking of aluminum? Stainless steel is non-reactive, so doesn't matter what you put in it. ASSUMING of course that it's clean - maybe a big assumption 🙂 Cheers! Adam

        Reply
      • Oscar Pinlac

        August 27, 2021 at 12:28 pm

        Good idea, but stainless steel is better. The calcium deposit is just more obvious on the stainless pot due to the mirror effect of the metal. Otherwise, there's probably calcium stain on the enameled cast iron that is not quite obvious?

        Reply
    6. Sana

      April 04, 2021 at 5:33 am

      Hello very good good site and recipes!! How long does it last if you do this? I have a Block of tamarind and on the bag it says it lasts until august. If i do this and put it in a mason jar, Will it last longer?
      Kind regards
      Sanae

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        April 21, 2021 at 12:11 am

        If you make a paste, boil it, and it should last in the jar for a few months. But the block of tamarind will last longer, it usually outlasts the expiration date if kept in the fridge.

        Reply
    7. Petru

      March 12, 2021 at 5:11 am

      I followed the recipe with half the bar and 2 cups of water but it ended up allot more watery and not like a paste. Should I boil it more to try and reduce it? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant

        April 21, 2021 at 12:15 am

        BLocks come in different sizes, is it possible you used a smaller bar? What I used it a 1lb block so ½ lb of tamarind for 2 cups. Also, it could mean that you didn't squish out enough flesh. You can certainly reduce it by boiling.

        Reply
    8. Liana

      March 06, 2021 at 7:20 pm

      This was great! Thank you so much for making this helpful video and making it so easy to follow! I will doing this tomorrow.

      Reply
    9. jane

      December 28, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Instructions are excellent and the whole process is easier than it sounds. The one thing I did differently was to fill the jar right to the very top with boiling water and put the lid on and let it stand for five minutes before putting the paste in jar...not sterilized but better than just "clean" for refrigerator shelf life.

      Reply
    10. Meredith Sanders

      December 28, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      I’m so looking forward to trying this recipe! Is there a simple trick to removing the tamarind from the seeds?

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Connect With Me!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    Image of Pailin

    Sawaddee ka! I'm Pai, a Thai chef, author, and host of the YouTube show Hot Thai Kitchen. I'm here to demystify Thai cuisine (and more) with recipes and video tutorials. More about me.

    Featured On...

    Popular Recipes

    • Authentic Pad Thai Recipe ผัดไท
    • Authentic Thai Green Curry Chicken
    • Pad Gaprao (Pad Kra Pao) Holy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Dim Sum Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go) ขนมผักกาด
    • Crab Fried Rice ข้าวผัดปู
    • Gai Lan Oyster Sauce Stir-Fry

    Trending: Healthy Meals

    • Tom Kha Gai ต้มข่าไก่ (Thai coconut chicken soup)
    • How to Save Your Basil - Thai Basil Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
    • Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with Nuoc Cham
    • My Go-To Broccoli Stir-Fry
    • Thai Street Food - Pork Bones Soup "Leng Saeb"
    • Fast & Easy Marble Eggs with Prik Nam Pla

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Merch
    • All Recipes

    Newsletter

    Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • My Cookbook
    • Patreon

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © Pailin's Kitchen Inc. 2022