Tamarind dipping sauce...

Broads.ie

Anybody know any recipes?

There are a lot of tamarind dipping sauce (or even regular sauce) recipes out there but they all involve actual real tamarinds. I can only get my hands on the tamarind extract called Tamicon and haven't found a recipe that uses it, so I literally have no clue how to use it. Do I use 1 spoon? 10 spoons? Does it need to be cooked? etc etc etc.

So, can anybody here help me make a sauce out of this? I tasted a tamarind sauce in Kenya last year and have been dreaming about it ever since. Thanks.

the beer revolu

I don't have any recipes for tamarind dipping sauce but that extract is fantastic - I use it in stuff all the time.
Taste it - that will give you an idea of how much to use.
What does the recipe call for in regular tamarind?

You'd be talking more about one teaspoon rather than 10, I'd imagine. It doesn't require cooking.

Broads.ie

The recipes mention stuff like "one cup of thick tamarind water".

http://recipe.radafsechina.com/recipe/spiced-tamarind-relish/30

or

http://www.tasteslikehome.org/2008/04/nothing-so-sweet-as-sour.html


I really don't have a clue how many spoons that translates to. Even when I do add a spoon of tamicon to water, it doesn't become thick it just stays watery.

What kind of stuff do you do with it?

the beer revolu

I'd try using a tea spoon full in half a cup of water - if the sauce seems to thick, add more water.

I just add it to things like dahl and curries when I need a bit of sourness.
I use a little with Frank's hotsauce when making buffalo wings.
A bit is good in crab cakes.

Anything where you want a nice fruity tang!
And I often just dip my finger in the pot - yummy;)

Little Alex

the beer revolu wrote: »

I use a little with Frank's hotsauce when making buffalo wings.

Now there's an idea! I'll be trying it. :pac:

the beer revolu

Little Alex wrote: »

Now there's an idea! I'll be trying it. :pac:

Yup, I just use a tiny bit and a little bit of sugar to balance it - it gives it a more rounded flavour.

Broads.ie

You add it to curries?!! Would it go with just regular curry? Why would you "need" a bit of sourness?