Tamarind and date sauce
Lovers of Indian food will recognize this tamarind and date sauce as a popular condiment for fried snacks such as samosas—the vegetable- or meat-stuffed triangular turnover. However, this sauce is also excellent as a dip for fried chicken wings or shrimp kebabs. It can also be spooned over seared chicken breast or filet mignon. Dates provide a sweet counterpoint to extremely sour tamarind paste, but you’ll still need a little tempering in the form of brown sugar. As always, feel free to add more cayenne pepper than is called for in the recipe, if you choose.
Equipment
Ingrediënten
MAKES: 240 ml
- 12 pitted dates preferably medjool
- 360 ml water
- 120 ml tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp 41 g dark brown sugar
- 3 g cayenne powder
- 3 g ginger powder
- 3 g ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt or more to taste
Instructies
- Roughly chop the dates and combine them with 360 ml of water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer until the dates are soft and beginning to break apart, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the tamarind paste, dark brown sugar, cayenne, ginger and cumin and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by one quarter.
- Add the salt and stir well.
- Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste.
- Pour purée through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pieces of date skins and then add the purée back into the same saucepan.
- Simmer for 5 minutes more, cool completely before serving with samosas, chicken wings or other fried snacks.
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