Whether you’re using bottled tamarind paste, or you’re making your own tamarind juice/water, use whatever amount of this that the recipe calls for. Concentrate needs to be diluted with water before use. Note that this jarred tamarind paste is Not the same thing as jarred tamarind “concentrate”. Using this bottled tamarind paste is very convenient, but the taste of freshly prepared tamarind is better. Pre-mixed tamarind can also be purchased (shown on the left side of the photo above).

Your paste can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Discard the seeds and any pieces that have not mixed or dissolved with the water. Then use your fingers to mash the tamarind until it “dissolves” and you are left with a light brown coloured, thick, sauce-like paste. To make tamarind paste / juice / water, allow 1 tbsp wet tamarind / tamarind block to soften in a few tablespoons of hot water. To add further confusion, the term tamarind pulp has been used to describe both the flesh of tamarind (wet tamarind / tamarind block) and, contrarily, the parts of the tamarind that do not “dissolve” or mix with water. But in general, tamarind paste, tamarind juice, and tamarind water usually refer to tamarind that has been prepared for cooking. I have even seen this referred to as tamarind “paste”.

This is often simply labeled as “tamarind”. Here is my general understanding: Wet tamarind or tamarind block is shown on the right side of the photo above. Get ready to spice up your dishes with our delicious tamarind paste recipe Elevate your meals with a tangy twist that will have you coming back for more. So depending on the source, it can be very confusing as to what a recipe actually calls for. Add a flavorful twist to your dishes with our tamarind paste recipe Elevate your cooking game with this tangy and versatile ingredient. There doesn’t seem to be a consistent use of terms that distinguish between those options. Otherwise, tamarind can be purchased in other forms. If you’re starting with fresh tamarind, discard the shell, the seeds, and the fibrous thread that runs along the outside of the flesh. On a side note, I like tamarind, but I dislike those sauces. If you’re not familiar with tamarind, you might be surprised to learn that it is an ingredient in Worcestershire and HP steak sauce. The flesh is reddish brown in colour, slightly chewy in texture, and unique and tart in flavour. It has a hard, dry, light brown exterior and several hard seeds. Tamarind is a pod-like fruit that is used in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking.

Tamarind paste vs tamarind concentrate