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This is a very commonly encountered Indian dipping sauce for samosa, and probably there are versions of it all over asia as the tamarind tree is widely distributed, having been naturalized into Asia and eventually also the Americas from tropical Africa. Typically, tamarind is commercially available as either packs of “seedless” pulp or jars of an already saucy syrup. The former is harder to work with but tastes better. In order to use it, pour hot water over it or simmer in some water and then strain in order to get rid of any solids which might still be in the puree.
This recipe also contains dates, which can be stewed with the tamarind. Truly authentic recipes for this use an Indian form of lump sugar called jaggery which we substitute with brown sugar because we have that on hand. Other unusual ingredients include “kala namak”, a type of black salt; and asafoetida. If you’re going to use kala namak make sure you get the right kind. Another kind of black salt includes activated charcoal - don’t use that one. Generally eating activated charcoal is a bad idea unless you want to neutralize ingested poisons, as it can interfere with a wide variety of pharmaceuticals. Asafoetida smells terrible, so I keep mine inside a second container to keep the scent in check in the cabinet. If you use it, use only a tiny amount.
This recipe, like many which contain spices, develops flavor as it sits after being mixed, so making it a day ahead is a fine idea.
Makes about 1.5 cups.
Equipment:
medium saucepan
mixing bowl or measuring cup and fine strainer which fits in it
small ladle (or other device for pushing the puree through the strainer)
Ingredients:
50 g “deseeded” tamarind paster
100 g dates Medjool; pits removed
100 g brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne or fermented hot pepper relish
2 cup water
3/4 tsp coriander toasted and ground
1/2 tsp cumin toasted and ground
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp fennel seed ground
1/4 tsp kala namak or regular salt
asafoetida optional; an invisible dusting, the tiniest amount
Procedure:
1. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds and place them into a spice grinder.
2. Add fennel seed and any other whole spices and grind to a powder.
3. Simmer the tamarind and dates in the water until they soften.
4. Add the spices and salt to the simmering paste, and take it off the heat.
5. Allow it to cool enough to be safe to handle, then start forcing it through the fine sieve into the mixing bowl or (glass) measuring cup. This step takes a while and some patience will be required.
6. Taste the filtered sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, lemon juice, etc, until it tastes right to you.
7. Allow it to cool fully and store refrigerated (or frozen) in a tightly-lidded container.
Music: www.bensound.co...
17 авг 2024
