Tag Archives: Tamarind

Originally from India, as its name suggests (tamarind comes from the Arabic tamar hindi “date of India”), widely used in Asian cuisine, tamarind is a spice popular in Africa, Iraq and in all countries of the Persian Gulf. Ingredient in curries, chutneys el other Asian condiments, tamarind was wanted in the Middle Ages as a refreshing syrup drink that the Crusaders had probably reported from the East.

Tamarind is the large dark pod of the tamarind tree in the tropical eastern Asia. Flowers are terminal clusters of yellow or reddish. The fruits are eaten Irais; dry, paste or concentrate, they serve as acidifier. as lemon juice. The flavor is sweet and sour, spicy and aromatic. The tamarind tree can reach 30 m high with a circumference of over 10 m. Grown in the Caribbean, became a spice tamarind hase of the kitchen.

The tamarind is purchased in blocks of black pulp, fibrous, sticky, free of seeds. The flavor is extracted by soaking it in hot water slightly sweetened, then press. On goûi more pronounced as the lemon or lime, tamarind curries suitable for meat or fish. It is also found in powder, paste or concentrate.

Tamarind is an excellent laxative, to the gentle action. It is also indicated to fight against fevers, asthma, jaundice and dysentery. Fresh fruit. Relieve morning sickness in early pregnancy. Tamarind stimulate appetite and improve digestion.

Satay – sate – skewered meat

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Ingredients :

  • 1 kg of meat (beef, chicken or mutton)
  • 6 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups of peanut
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 large onions
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cteaspoon of turmeric
  • 2 chopped cilantro
  • 30 g of fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup of water

for the sauce:

  • 680 g of peanuts
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 1/2 cup of sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of shrimp paste, dry
  • 2 large onions
  • 85 g of tamarind paste
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 piece of ginger
  • 4 teaspoons of salt
  • 6 cups of milk coconut

Preparation :
Finely chop the garlic, onions, peanuts, lemongrass and ginger and reserve.

Cut meat into cubes and place in a bowl and finely chopped ingredients. Add salt, sugar, cumin, turmeric, coriander, water and mix.

Marinate for at least 4 hours, then put the meat on skewers, cook the skewers ona grill or oven.

For the sauce:
Chop the onions, garlic and ginger. Dry toast the seeds of peanuts in a pan,remove the skins and grind finely.

Saute shrimp paste over medium heat for a few minutes, add onion and garlic to skillet, cook the onions until they become white.

Add lemongrass, ginger, chilli, peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut milk, sugar, salt and tamarind paste and cook until the sauce thickens.

Serve skewers and sauce with vegetables or rice.

Tips : It is served with sliced ​​cucumber, cubes of compacted rice, raw onions and the famous satay sauce.

Anecdotes : Following colonization of Indonesia by the Netherlands, this dish is now extremely common in fast food establishments Dutch, the satay sauce is regularly used as an accompaniment to fried.

Yao Hon – Cambodian fondue

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Ingredients :

  • 500 g of rice vermicelli
  • 500 g of beef
  • 200 g of shrimp
  • 200 g of asian fish or beef balls
  • 200 g of cuttlefish
  • 200 g of water spinach
  • 100 g of mushrooms
  • 100 g of crushed peanuts
  • 1 kg of spinach
  • 2 Chinese cabbage
  • 3 bok choy
  • 75 g of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of tamarind concentrate
  • 40 cl of coconut cream
  • 15 cl of nuoc mam sauce
  • 150 g of satay powder or paste
  • 1,5 liters of water

Preparation :

Prepare the noodles according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Cut the meat into thin slices. Shell the shrimp and make a small cut on the back of the shrimp and remove the small black vein.

Cut the fish or beef balls and bok choy in 2 pieces and 4 pieces the cuttlefish.

Cut the mushrooms into strips and water spinach and Chinese cabbage in 3.

In a saucepan pour the coconut cream and satay, mix well so that everything is well homogeneous, then add the tamarind concentrate, sugar, stir and simmer 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add 1,5 L of water, salt, fish sauce and crushed peanuts and stir and simmer 30 minutes over high heat.

Transfer a quantity of soup in serving Asian melted, then add the vegetables, meat and seafood and rice vermicelli, cook and enjoy.

Tips : you can use prawns instead of shrimps and the soya vermicelli instead of rice noodles, because it doesn’t need to be soaked in water before consumption,  you can put directly into the Cambodian melted.

Anecdotes : The khmer fondue is made ​​at major events such as : New Year, weddings, birthday, family meetings…