ASIAN TAMARIND

Tamarind, a tropical fruit, infuses an additive flavour in cuisines. The soft, sticky pulp, which encases a black seed and tastes sweet-sour, is removed from the crescent-shaped pods.Tamarind is rich in tartaric acid that adds a tart taste to drinks and dishes. Tamarind tastes sour when it is young.With ageing, tamarind gets sweeter though the basic flavour remains acidic and sour.Tamarind is a popular spice condiment widely used in Indian cuisine. It is easily available in the market.Tamarind comes in two varieties – sweet and sour. Sweet variety is used in Thai cooking whereas Indian delicacies owe a lot to the sour type.
Have you heard about a drink namely amlana? It is a Rajasthani drink.The drink is made from tamarind pulp flavoured with cardamom and pepper. Black salt lends the drink an amazing flavour that is further perked up by minty decoration.Tamarind and South Indian cuisines share an intimate relationship. Tamarind is a part and parcel of South Indian kitchens.The most popular delicacy from the South is sambar. It is cooked in South Indian households almost daily. The dish makes a good use of tamarind’s tanginess.Rasam is another South Indian delight. Rasam without idli – how will it taste? Awful, definitely!Tamarind rice, also known as puli sadam, pulihora, puliyodharai or puliyogare, is a popular South India dish.This sour, spicy delicacy is prepared with rice, tamarind pulp and a special masala mix (3 types of lentils, sesame seeds and Kashmiri red chillies).South Indian sabzis are also blessed with the tanginess of tamarind. Hyderabadi mirchi ki salon is a popular Indian curry served with biryani though it also wor