Tasty Tamarind

It’s one of those curious ingredients we keep playing with — sticky, sweet, sour tamarind paste. Growing up with Hispanic neighbors, we often had tamarind candy, which was tamarind fruit deseeded (sometimes) and dusted with sugar and chili powder. Another way our Mexican friends used it was to drink it like lemonade; agua de tamarindo is a popular regional drink in some areas of Mexico. Neither of these treatments really utilize tamarind as more than a single ingredient, so we’ve tried to incorporate it elsewhere. Because it’s already sticky/pulpy, it’s packaged semi-dried in stores, and can easily cook up into a jam, to be used in thumbprint cookies (your favorite sugar cookie recipe plus a puckerish-sweet jam.). Its stickiness means it’s also makes a great sauce — found this recipe for an orange and tamarind glaze, and haven’t been able to stop imagining how good it will taste.

There’s still got to be more to do with tamarind than this. Maybe tamarind bars, kind of like fig newtons, only sour-sweet?? A tamarind based salad dressing, instead of using vinegar for the puckery notes, tamarind and something else? Would coconut or chocolate pair with tamarind? The mind boggles…

When in doubt, we usually think: beans. Since beans are so, so good and good for us, we try and eat all kinds, and though I hated lentils growing up, I’ve found they’re flavorfully flexible, and that if you’re creative, with them, they won’t get boring. Lentils can absorb many flavors, so the sweet/sour/tangy tamarind added to spicy lentils can be pretty darned tasty. If you don’t like sour/tangy flavors, don’t be afraid that you’ll be overwhelmed by the tamarind — you won’t. Either way, experiment with the amount of tamarind you add. As ever, none of our recipes are written in stone; they’re all a work in progress, but this is a basic plan, based on a recipe found in Veganomicon. Enjoy.

Curried Tamarind Lentils

• 2 small onions (or one huge one), finely minced
• 2 carrots, scrubbed or peeled and diced
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, deseeded (if you like) and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. garam masala – store bought, or your own recipe
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder, or wet curry paste
• 1/2 tsp. toasted ground cumin seeds (if I don’t have garam masala, I add coriander, too
• chipotle powder — to taste
• 1 c. dried lentils, soaked in cool water for 20 min.(
• 1 c. tomato juice and 1 c. unsalted vegetable broth or water
• 2 tsp. tamarind paste

Before you do anything else, prep your tamarind. We buy ours “wet,” which is in a sort of dried fruit brick, which contains seeds and peels. We break off a chunk and place it in a bowl, pouring boiling hot water over it. After it sits for about three minutes, we work it with our fingers until the seeds are fully separate from the pulp, press it through a sieve, and discard the skin and seeds. Next:

1. In a dry saucepan, toast your cumin seeds. Just let them heat up, swirling the pan repeatedly so they won’t burn. Dump them into a mortar bowl, grind them, and set them aside. This will take just a minute, and adds so much flavor. (some people say to let them cool before grinding – play with it)
2. Now add oil to your pan, and sauté your onions, carrots, and chopped tomatoes. Okay, this isn’t really sautéing, just getting them used to the idea of being in your dish.
3. Next, add your cumin, coriander, garam masala, etc. This is the point during which you’ll need to turn on your exhaust fan. Careful with the chipotle (or cayenne, if you don’t have any)! If you’re using curry paste, this is the time for it. (The amount is a guideline; sometimes I put a whole tsp. of curry paste),
4. Your saucepan mixture will be a bit juicy, so it’s time to add your soaked lentils and one cup of water or unsalted broth. The lentils are presoaked because it cuts their cooking time tremendously, and allows them to absorb flavor faster. The broth is unsalted, because one should never, never, never, NEVER salt beans until they’re off of heat, or the skin will toughen.
5. Your beans, spices and veggies are bubbling now over a medium flame for about twenty minutes. From time to time, stir them – depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, they may seem too thick. It’s okay to add a tiny bit of water, but don’t forget about your tomato juice!
6. Finally, combine your tamarind paste and tomato sauce in a small cup or bowl. If you choose to add salt to your beans, and you’re using brown lentils (or other lentils with skin, not the red dahl lentils) I’d still hold off on the salt. Add the tomato and tamarind blend to the lentils, and allow it to bubble for another five minutes, then whisk it off of the heat, and serve over hot rice.

These lentils are savory and tasty, and the various spices aren’t tasted individually, rather as a lingering flavor in the back of the mouth (and a lingering spice in the throat from the chipotle and the ginger in the garam marsala). Some people add a teaspoon of sugar with the tamarind in the end, but I’ve never felt a need. According to the food encyclopedia, tamarind pulp has a high vitamin C, Vitamin B and calcium content it’s said to “improve digestion and relieve gas.” Temple of Thai says it will soothe a sore throat, act as a mild laxative and can even be used as an effective antiseptic for eye baths. I’m not going that far, but I will say it’s a tasty ingredient, and in this dish will definitely replace common, everyday lentils.

In the category of weekend recipes that make me want to drop by for lunch are Cynthia’s coconuty corn and breakfast bread, Holler’s blueberry (but could be raisin) scones with the built-in jam, and Dad, Baker & Chef’s Mocha Biscuit Pudding. Oh, yum. I need dessert…

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