Hi,

My recipe asks for half a teaspoon of tamarind paste. I heard that the strength of sauces can vary so I've bought a block of Tamarind but frankly don't know what quantity to what volume of boiling water to use.

Can anybody advise me?

Regards,

Martin.

Half a teaspoon is a really small amount. Pinch off 2-3 stones and surrounding flesh from the tamarind block. Soak it in 3-4 tbsp. of hot water, mash it around with your fingers as soon as you can touch it. Strain it. Throw away the husk and stones. It should be a paste of ketchup like consistency. use required amount from that, keep the rest in the fridge in a container.

Hi Mamta,

Thanks for your reply. I realised that my recipe was asking for the thick, concentrate. Therefore I used about a quarter of a 'block' with about 1 mugful of boiling water. The liquid wasn't watery but not as thick as ketchup. However the overall result (in Keralan Pork) was great!

Thanks again,

Martin