Tamarind

The tamarind belongs to the pea family, Leguminosae or Fabaceae. Its scientific name is Tamarindus indica.

It is native to tropical Africa and grows wild throughout the Sudan. It was introduced into India so long ago, it has often been reported as indigenous there also. It is extensively cultivated in tropical areas of the world. Sometime during the 16th century, it was introduced into America and today is widely grown in Mexico.

Sweet Tamarind Chutney

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons tamarind paste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, and garam masala; cook and stir for about two minutes to release the flavours.

Stir the water into the pan with the spices along with the sugar and tamarind paste. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the mixture turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken upon cooling.

(From http://sidedish.allrecipes.com)

Squid Salad with Tamarind

1/4 cup tamarind liquid
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 chillies
5 cloves garlic; chopped fine
1 teaspoon oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pound squid tube; cleaned and cut up
Salt
1/4 cup nint; fresh; julienned
1/4 cup cilantro; chopped coarse
2 cups bean sprouts; fresh
1 cup carrots; thinly julienned
1/2 cup peanuts; roasted; chopped coarsely

In large bowl, combine tamarind liquid, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, onion, chili peppers and half the garlic; set dressing aside.

Heat large frypan to high heat. Add peanut oil, ginger, remaining garlic and squid and saute for about one minute or until squid just starts to turn opaque. Drain off excess liquid. Add sauteed squid to dressing and toss well. Season to taste with salt.

Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Add mint, cilantro, bean sprouts and carrots to squid mixture and toss thoroughly. Top with peanuts.

Serves 6.

(From http://www.cdkitchen.com/)

Australian chef Phillip Searle's
Steamed blue swimmer crab with tamarind and "angels’ hair"
(serves 8)

1 large fresh blue swimmer crab per person
1 x 200g packet of dried tamarind
250g chopped palm sugar
dash fish sauce
1 tspn cracked black pepper
250g snow peas cut into long thin strips (julienne)
finely shredded mint or rau raum
1 large leek per person cut into fine julienne

Shell the crabs and keep the meat from each crab separate. Roughly pound the shells and make a stock with ginger and spring onions. Strain and reduce.

Break the tamarind up in a litre of water and simmer over a low heat for about an hour. Add the palm sugar to dissolve it. Strain through a fine sieve to extract all the juice. Reserve juice or reduce.

"Angels Hair"

Salt the leek juliennes, allowing 1 level tspn of salt per leek. Leave 6 hours. Wash them twice in copious quantities of cold water. Thoroughly squeeze all the water from them to dry them as much as possible.

‘Tease’ them out and deep fry in batches (peanut oil). Keeping them gold (they continue to darken when removed from oil) rest on absorbent paper. Keep warm.

Take 8 dariole moulds, oil them with leek oil and pack the crab meat into them. Spoon 1 dsrtspn of crab stock and 1 tspn of tamarind liquid into each. Smooth the top with black pepper. Add dash of fish sauce. Loosely cover with foil.

Have ready a braising pan with a tight fitting lid with 1cm of rapidly boiling water in the bottom. Place the moulds into the pan and cook over highest possible heat for 4 minutes. Dislodge foil and pile snow pea juliennes on top. Cook a further 2 minutes. Rest 1 minute.

Run a knife around inner edge of each mould and gently turn onto serving plates. Sprinkle mint on top. Pile on the angel's hair.

(From http://www.miettas.com/)

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