How to Make Tamarind Juice

Tamarind is a tree found extensively in the tropical Africa, South Asian countries. Therefore its leaves and fruits are a widely used food ingredient in their diets. Tamarind juice is made from the tamarind fruit and is the best way to beat the heat in summers. If you like the taste of tamarind or if you have had the juice before and you want to make it at home then, here is a simple recipe for you to make the refreshing tamarind juice.

Tamarind Juice Recipe

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups of Fresh or Compressed Tamarind
• Sugar Syrup or Honey
• Water
• Ice

Instructions to Make Tamarind Juice

Step 1. Wash the tamarind fruit (pod) with water to get rid of all the dirt.

Step 2. Now remove all the seeds from the tamarind pod and keep it ready for boiling.

Step 3. Pour about two glasses of water and let it boil.

Step 4. Now, add the tamarind fruit in the bowl of boiling water and let it cook on a low flame.

Step 5. Say after 5-10 minutes, check if the tamarind fruit has soaked and cooked.

Step 6. If it has, then the water will turn into a think dark brown liquid.

Step 7. Use a blender and grind all the boiled content.

Step 8. Now, use a drainer and drain the boiled content in another bowl leaving behind the waste particles and let it cool.

Step 9. Meanwhile, either make a sugar syrup by boiling a tablespoon of sugar in a glass of water and let it boil or use honey instead.

Step 10. After the boiled content (tamarind pulp) has cooled down, add the sugar syrup (cooled) or honey as per your taste.

Step 11. Now crush some ice in a blender and add it to the mixture of tamarind pulp and sugar syrup or honey and serve.

Your tangy and yummy tamarind juice is ready!

You can also use the tamarind pulp available in the market directly for making tamarind juice, but the flavor is different when you make it at home rather than get it ready-made. The tamarind pulp made at home has more flavor as it has no preservatives and chemicals added.

Tip: Store the tamarind pulp and the sugar syrup separately and add them as per your taste.

Other Uses of Tamarind Pulp
The tamarind pulp made for the juice can be used for preparing many other things. It is used as a traditional ingredient in south Asian dishes, as a substitute for lemon. It is commonly used for:

• Making a curry
• Making a jam
• Chutney
• Candied tamarind
• Tamarind balls
• Tamarind paste
• Tamarind sauce

You will always find the tamarind pulp ready in a south Asian home. It is a main condiment spice used by them in many of their dishes. It is very easy to use and make. If you are making a curry, you will need to add a few table spoons of the tamarind pulp (depending on the quantity of curry) to the curry and let boil for sometime. It brings a tangy flavor to the dish. Also, if you are making a jam, you can add the tamarind pulp in the jam mixture and cook it till the mixture becomes thick.

Benefits of Drinking Tamarind Juice

1. Tamarind juice is used as a drink that brings relief from a sunstroke.
2. Tamarind juice is used for gargling to treat sore throats.
3. It is used as a somniferous drink.
4. Tamarind juice is also drunk to improve the digestive system.
5. Regular drinking of tamarind juice helps in lowering cholesterol.
6. It is also used as a remedy for biliousness.
7. It is a good source of copper, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium.

Tamarind juice does not only have a great tangy taste, but also has a great nutritive and medicinal value. It is so much better than drinking soft drinks, which unnecessarily increase your calorie intake and also adds no nutritive value. Follow the above given recipe and treat yourself with a healthy chilled glass of tamarind juice.