Nyonya Ingredients: Tamarind (Assam)
August 10th, 2009 | Ingredients | 17 Comments
Tamarind is a very common ingredient in Southeast Asian and Indian cuisines, but an exotic and foreign ingredient to many in the west. I often receive emails from readers asking me about tamarind; I hope this post about tamarind would help you understand this core ingredient.
Tamarind–or “assam” in local Malay language–is the fruit of tamarind trees. Tamarind (pictured above) usually comes in a block and sealed tight in a plastic packaging and must be soaked in water and then squeezed to extract the juice. The pulp and residue will then be discarded…
Tamarind juice is sour and used generously in many Nyonya recipes, including stewed pork ribs and the famous Assam Laksa. Tamarind also comes in a concentrated form called tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate. This is the processed tamarind and can be used as is. I still love my tamarind pulp as this is how I have always used tamarind.
Tamarind can be easily found in Asian markets and can be kept in an airtight container for months.
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Bee – brilliant description on Tamarind. Very informative. The sour the better for me. Absolutely love extracting the juice and use in my dishes, especially combine with other herbs to give that sweet, sour, spicy and tangy flavours. Brilliant!
Thanks Victor, I am just trying to write what I know. Hehe.
Hello… just a clarification there are 2 types of assam – different fruits. One is the assam jawa (the one pictured here), typically found in many nyonya dish (my grandmother is a nyonya); and the other one is assam gelugor (the dried ones that are found in penang laksa). They actually taste different, with assam jawa a bit more pungent and mildly salty; while assam gelugor is purely sour.
Correct, assam gelugor makes assam keping which is used to make assam laksa. Thanks for your clarification.
I didn’t know there are two kinds. I have only seen and use assam jawa. I have never seen assam gelugor in the supermarket here (Australia). So must make it a point to seek out the other assam next time I go back to Penang for holiday.
This is certainly very informative. Thanks, Yen and Bee.
Hey victor – yes you can get assam gelugor/keping in Australia (I am in Australia) – fairly easily (not all supermarkets have it, but it’s far cheaper to get from Malaysia but you might not go through customs – I have two packets of assam keping that got confiscated before). Let me know if you want to know where to get it.
Thanks, Yen. Nice to know you live in Australia as well. I am beginning to think majority of Bee’s blog and Rasa Malaysia’s blog are living in America and Europe.
I am not surprise the Custom has confiscated your Assam. We can only bring in dried stuff, as you know. Btw I am in Hobart. Do you think they sell it here?
I love tamarind, everybody says: you are crazy to eat this fruit so acid…but what can I do? I like it…fruit or one kind of sweet, very delicious.
Oh Victor – sorry to mess this up… if you look around in north Australia (north QLD or WA or NT)… you can actually SPOT some assam jawa TREE around. I used to pick the fruits and made recipes up! Cheers.
I see, Yen. You are lucky then. The climate up there is more suited for tropical fruit, not in Tasmania. Cheers.
Nice post. I love using tamarind, but I can only find tamarind concentrate here. How do you sub tamarind concentrate in recipes that call for tamarind pulp?
I always have a better appetite whenever I see dishes cooked with Tamarind sauce. I must buy one now and start learning how to cook with it to solve my personal craving. :P
Yes, sour is appetizing. :)
This is one spice that just a whiff will make my mouth waters. =D
Yes, the sour sour taste. LOL.
Thank heavens I don’t have to feel jealous as I too get fresh tamarind year round. I love that photograph.
Good for you Cynthia. Tamarind is totally awesome! Can’t live without it.