Tamarind Paste
Makaam Piak
Fresh reconstituted tamarind paste made from just dried fruit and water
- Prep
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- mild
Tamarind paste comes down to just two ingredients, dried fruit and water, but that simplicity is exactly why homemade beats the bottled versions found at most stores, which often carry preservatives and a flatter flavor. A short soak softens the dried fruit enough to mash by hand, and pushing that mash through a strainer separates the smooth, creamy paste from the fibrous seeds and shell. Tamarind's clean, even sourness, distinct from the sharper bite of vinegar or lime, is what defines the flavor of countless Thai dishes, making a small batch of fresh paste worth keeping on hand whenever tamarind is easy to find.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried tamarind (shell removed if present)
- 1/2 cup Water
Directions
- If the tamarind still has its hard outer shell, remove it so you're left with just the fruit pulp and seeds.
- Spread the fruit out in a medium bowl and add just enough water to cover it. Let soak undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the water, then pinch and squeeze the softened fruit with your fingers until it breaks down into a mush, removing any fibers or seeds as you find them.
- Push the mashed fruit through a fine strainer using your fingers, a spoon, or a spatula, scraping the paste that comes through onto a plate.
- Discard the seeds, fibers, and any remaining shell pieces left in the strainer. If needed, soak the leftover solids again and repeat to extract more paste.
- Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks. Can be frozen, but should be used soon after thawing.
Notes
Let the fruit soak fully before mashing rather than rushing straight to squeezing — a proper soak softens the pulp enough that seeds and fibers separate out easily by hand.
Substitutions
Dried tamarind with the shell already removed, sold looking similar to pitted dates, works just as well as whole shelled tamarind and saves a step.