Simple Tamarind Juice
Tamarind, or better known in Malaysia as “Asam Jawa”, is a strong yet mellow sour fruit often used in cooking. It is not as sharp and tart as lemon, or lime, yet it lends depth to the dishes. Today I’m sharing a simple Tamarind Juice recipe that you can make directly from the pulp of the tamarind.
It’s mildly sweet with a mellow twang of sourness that’s just right for the hot summer afternoon. It is especially delicious when chilled with ice cubes, and fragrant with the lingering fruitiness of longan.
This recipe yields 15 tall glasses, for 15 servings.
What is Tamarind Juice?
Tamarind is a hardwood tree that produces a fruit that is shaped like a pod, with a hard shell exterior, and fleshy pulp that surrounds the seeds. When young, the fruit is hard, green and sour. Once matured, the pulp is fibrous but soft, dark brown in colour, while still maintaining the sourness. Usually, tamarind sold for cooking (and used in this recipe) is already matured, with almost all of the exterior hard skin removed.
Very often, we will cook or soak the pulp in hot water to extract the fragrance and flavour of the tamarind. Then, the mixture is strained through a rough wire mesh to separate the concentrated liquid from the pulp and seeds.
Tamarind on its own is full of health benefits, with healthline stating that it is full of nutrients that have the effects of being antioxidant, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Among the benefits include regulating cholesterol levels and boosting heart health.
An optional ingredient that I used is dried longan fruits. There is no added sugar, yet it is very sweet. It is often used in Asian desserts; I used it in this recipe for additional sweetness and fragrance.
The one ingredient that I skipped is fresh pandan leaves, tied to a knot and boiled together with the rest of the ingredients to impart sweet, herbal aroma and light taste. While it is not needed, it can certainly add to the complexity of that mellow tanginess and slight sweetness this refreshing Tamarind Drink can offer.
Ingredients
- Tamarind Pulp
- Water
- Cane Rock Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Dried Longan
- Ice Cubes
Utensils
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cup
- Strainer
- Measuring Scale
- Stockpot
Tips
- If using white sugar, reduce the sweetness 1-2 tbsp. Cane rock sugar is not as processed and not as sweet as white sugar, that’s why more of it can be used.
- It will taste quite strong and acidity when warm, and that’s ok. It can either be diluted further with some hot water, or with some ice to mellow out the strong taste.
- It tastes best when fully chilled.
- Ensure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
Storage Instructions
Tamarind juice can be kept in the fridge, in a clean, air-tight container for about 5 days to a week. I personally kept mine in a large bottle dispenser to enjoy slowly in higher temperatures. It also made a refreshing drink after enjoying some spicy Thai dishes like Tom Yam, Green Curry and Kaeng Som.
Even refrigerated, the longan juice kept its firm, juicy texture, adding just a little chew to the drink. I would only recommend adding soda water for the drinks that are freshly mixed to consume.
The Tamarind Drink on its own can be frozen without the longan, as the ice crystals will alter the firmness once thawed.
Similar Recipes
Simple Tamarind Juice
Equipment
- stockpot
- Strainer
- Ladle
Ingredients
Tamarind Concentrate
- 500 ml water
- 500 g tamarind pulp, with seeds
- 200 ml water, optional, added if the consistency is too thick
Tamarind Juice
- 5 L water
- 500 ml tamarind concentrate, homemade
- 1 tbsp salt
- 50 g brown sugar
- 250 g rock sugar
- 150 g dried longan fruit, optional
- 50 ml carbonated water, optional, per serving
Instructions
Tamarind Concentrate
- Rinse the tamarind pulp lightly after removing from the packaging.
- Place the rinsed tamarind pulp into a pot, and separate it into pieces. Place the pot over a stove over medium heat.
- Pour water all over the tamarind pulp and let it come to a rolling boil. Continue boiling until all the flesh has separated from the seeds, or about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it from burning. If the consistency is too thick, add about 200ml of water.
- Once the flesh has separated from the seeds, switch off the heat. Strain the juice and pulp over a bowl to collect the juice. Measure out the amount needed, and keep the rest in a separate container once completely cooled to room temperature.
Tamarind Juice
- In a large stockpot, add 5L of water, tamarind concentrate, salt, brown sugar and cane rock sugar over medium heat. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil for about 15 minutes.
- Stir the tamarind juice and cover the with the lid slantingly. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
- Once boiling, add the dried longan fruit, add the fruit once boiling. Cover with the lid slantingly for another 15 minutes, or until all the fruits have rehydrated fully. This is optional.
- If you're not adding the longan fruit, taste and adjust. It may not be overwhelmingly sweet or tangy – that's ok. Switch off the heat and set aside to cool completely before storing.
- Serve with some ice cubes, topped with some longan fruit if added. It can also be topped up with some soda water per glass. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If using white sugar, reduce the sweetness 1-2 tbsp. Cane rock sugar is not as processed and not as sweet as white sugar, that’s why more of it can be used.
- It will taste quite strong and acidity when warm, that’s ok. It can either be diluted further with some hot water, or with some ice to mellow out the strong taste.
- It tastes best when fully chilled.
- Ensure to watch the video to see exactly how I made it!