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Tamarind Lends Sweet and Sour Zest to Indian FoodBy Marian BetancourtTamarind is the secret ingredient that gives Worcestershire sauce its zing so most people have probably tasted it at one time or another. However, few are aware of how popular and widely used tamarind is in cooking, especially in India where tamarind trees grow. Often called Indian date, tamarind is the sticky pulp that grows inside a curved brown bean-pod.
“When the fruit is young it’s greenish, very sour,” said Gurpreet (Gary) Wallia, nephew of the owner and the restaurant’s general manager, explaining that tamarind grows in the plains in the south of India where it is very hot and humid. This large, slow-growing and long-lived evergreen, was native to northern Africa, but in pre-historic times migrated to India. (Today it also grows in the West Indies.) Cooking in the south of India is more tamarind based, while in the north where the Wallias are from, tamarind is widely used for a street snack called bhel poori (see recipe below).
Throughout history the leaves, flowers, and pods of the tamarind tree have been used in folk medicine to treat everything from eye infections to digestive ailments and asthma. Women were known to use it as an aphrodisiac. Superstition also surrounds the tamarind tree. Because so few plants survive under a tamarind tree, some people refused to sleep or tie a horse beneath one, probably because the fallen leaves of the tree have a corrosive effect. In Victorian times while the British inhabited the subcontinent, some natives in Goa, a city today known for its excellent beaches, were said to believe malevolent spirits inhabited the fresh tamarind pods. Thus, to avoid being harassed by the natives, the British allegedly kept a tamarind pod in one ear, earning the nickname tamarind heads. Putting pods in your ears won’t keep you free of harassment, but may deprive you of what Gary Wallia calls a great TV snack. “As kids we used to chew on the pods,” he said, adding that they are good dipped in rock salt. The pods are sometimes left on the tamarind tree for up to six months after maturity. Thus, tamarind is already a dry fruit when harvested. The pulp is removed from the pods then cleaned and concentrated. It is processed into a pressed fibrous block that can be reconstituted with water. This is available from Indian, Asian, Latin, and gourmet markets. Tamarind is also available as bottled concentrate and some shops carry the dried pods. The one-pound block is the most useful and it will keep for up to a year. Tamarind pulp is made into tangy chutney to go along with a variety of meat and fish dishes. You can break off a chunk to make a small amount of chutney or use the whole block. Basic tamarind chutney (chutney simply means fruit and sugar) can be used for many recipes calling for tamarind and it can also be served as a dipping sauce or a decorative garnish on a plate. Gary Wallia said he likes to sprinkle a roasted corn cob with red chili powder and lime juice and then dip it in tamarind chutney. Here are some recipes from the Tamarind chefs. TAMARIND CHUTNEYThis recipe will make 2 cups of chutney that can be kept refrigerated for 3 or 4 days or can be kept in the freezer for a longer period. Tamarind chutney can be mixed with other sauces or used as a dipping sauce for a variety of foods including fried eggplant sticks. Ingredients *Chat masala is mango powder mixed with rock salt and pepper available in packets in Indian and Asian grocery stores. Method 2. Strain the pulp to eliminate the skins and seeds. A conical strainer is best, but any mesh strainer will do. 3. Put the strained pulp back in the pot, add sugar and keep reducing it over medium heat. Add the chili powder (for color) and the ginger powder (for flavor). All of these ingredients can be used according to your own taste to make it more or less spicy. The color will darken when it cools. 4. Refrigerate until ready to use. BHEL POORIIn India this classic street food (also spelled bhel puri) is served in paper cups and sometimes accompanied by coconut milk. It makes a delicious appetizer for 6 to 8 people or it can be served as party food with a chilled chardonnay. It should have a nice crunch, so serve it within 10 minutes of preparation so the dry ingredients don’t get soggy. Ingredients Method To Serve If You Go Photos courtesy of Tamarind Restaurant |
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“It’s a dry fruit. It’s sweet and sour,” said Avtar Wallia,
who named his New York City restaurant after the fruit. “I was looking for an
appropriate name. It had to be simple, related to food, and catchy. By just
saying the name, you know it’s a restaurant.”
His elegant restaurant, decorated in beige and silver tones
with Indian bells on the walls, serves traditional Indian food on Rosenthal
china with orchids on every table. The menu includes many tamarind-based dishes.
In addition to the recipes below, dishes include spicy potato cakes with
tamarind and mint chutney (aldo tikkiyas), tamarind swordfish, and tamarind
flavored rice. In the restaurant’s adjoining tea room, which serves lighter
fare, a sweet and pungent tamarind dressing enhances a sandwich of pickled
tandoori mushrooms (achari khumb).
Like lemon, tamarind brings an acidic zest to food as well
as beverages. In India, “they make a drink of it with lime juice and sugar. You
stir it a lot,” Gary Wallia said. At Tamarind, the bartender will do the
stirring for you if you want one of the popular cocktails: tamarind cosmopolitan
or tamarind margarita. In some South American countries tamarind (known there as
tamarindo) is the basis of a popular carbonated beverage.