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Tamarind, known in Thai as "makaam", is one of the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine. It is a staple in every Thai kitchen, and it plays a key role in popular dishes such as pad thai and papaya salad. Many people cook with this strange-looking pod, but perhaps few know what the fruit actually looks like or how that brown liquid in the jar was made! I also get a lot of questions about tamarind in general, so here's a video to hopefully tackle them all. In this video I talk about everything you need to know, from what the fruit looks like, how to eat a fresh tamarind, how to buy cooking tamarind, how to store it, and how to use it. If you still have unanswered questions, please feel free to let me know!
Paul Bonge
The ever versatile Tamarind or Tamarindo in Mexico! Olé I'm sorry I don't remember the whole recipe however my father once made an extraordinary garlic/mustard ice cream sauce of garlic, mustard powder, tamarind, tiger lily buds, (I think some black pepper perhaps infused whole when cooking the sauce) a small amount depending on the quantity being made of black currant jam or jelly say 2-4 tbsp. I think there must have been some butter in there as well. Of course you wouldn't use fresh hot garlic but either dry fried or even roasted would be nice. Then my suggestion would be to whirl it in a blender depending on amount made or use a stick blender.
WARNING this is a foggy memory of this ice cream sauce (best only over vanilla as I think we tried it on chocolate and strawberry and it was AWFUL) perhaps coffee or even a butter scotch or caramel (dulce de leche) ice cream would be nice.
Now come to think of it I believe my father may have added butter scotch (a soft English variety from a jar I remember him having) to his garlic/mustard ice cream sauce!
Tina Kurgan
Very helpful! I made Pad Thai tonight for the first time!