Tamarind Block

A fruit that provides a sweet and sour flavour.  Tamarind has a delicious fruity tart flavour that is commonly used in Indian, Thai and Chinese cuisines.  For this reason, it is often used as a souring agent.  Excellent in stir frys, soups and curries.  To use, break a small chunk and mix it with a few tablespoons of hot water then use your fingers to squeeze the flesh so that it melts into the water.  Discard any seeds.  There you have it…tamarind water.  This can be added to many dishes such as hot & sour soups, the famous pad thai or to add a touch of sourness to South Indian curries and chutneys.  Tamarind is also very effective as a natural preservative and is great when added to marinades and dressings.  Store in an airtight, cool place and the wet tamarind will last indefinitely and does not need to be refrigerated as long as it’s kept in the right conditions. This is a fairly large block of tamarind and should last you for a long time…obviously depends on how often you use it.