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Tamarind


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Inspired by the extraordinary chutneys we tasted at Kapishya Hot Springs in Zambia (look for reviews of our meagre dining experiences in the travel forum), and by Zora, I am going directly from NO cooking to making home-made chutneys. And not just the ordinary mango chutneys you can buy anywhere. No sirree. As a lover of tamarind, I am going for a tamarind-based chutney, but I am having a tough time finding tamarind (pulp is called for, not concentrate, though I'd like to find the concentrate for other dishes). I tried Balducci's, as they sell a turkey burger with tamarind sauce, but they don't sell tamarind. I've tried the ethnic food aisles at Giant and Rodman's as well as Dean and DeLuca. Haven't tried the grocery store in White Flint North (a Food Lion, I think), which has quite a good selection of ethic foods.

Part of the problem seems to be knowing where to look. The tamarind is native to Africa but tamarind is commonly used in both Asian and Latin cuisines. I've tried all three sections without luck.

Any ideas?

Ellen

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I assume you're looking for a block of tamarind pulp? It's available at the Super H in Wheaton, the Thai market in Silver Spring, and just about any Indian grocery store. There was a Patel Bros. at the insection of College Parkway and Rockville Pike, in the shopping center just past Montgomery College. I've never seen it at a non-ethnic market.

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As a lover of tamarind, I am going for a tamarind-based chutney, but I am having a tough time finding tamarind (pulp is called for, not concentrate, though I'd like to find the concentrate for other dishes).
As Heather has named where I buy it (Thai Market in SS), just a word of advice, avoid the concentrate like the plague. That stuff is truly god awful. Its tinny aftertaste is impossible to hide.
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Once you learn what whole tamarind pods look like, you see them in lots of stores. Not something I ever buy, but I know I've seen them at the Asian markets, but also at Shoppers Food Warehouse and even at Safeway. Getting a block of tamarind pulp will save lots of work, though. I've never made tamarind chutney from scratch. Where did you find the recipe you plan to use?

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