ISO kosher tamarind paste

Help! I have been reading Jennifer Abadi's cookbook, "A Fistful of Lentils," (from the library), and want to try some of the recipes. A frequently used ingredient in Syrian-Jewish cooking is tamarind paste, for sourness in sweet & sour foods.

Now I haven't been able to find a paste that has a hecksher! At Global Foods, here in St. Louis, I found a package of paste made in Thailand, that contains "tamarind, salt.", but that is not sufficiently o.k. for my home use.

Does anyone know of any kosher paste????
Thanks, p.j.

[AdinaA]

In case anyone else is searching, an Indian company www.golchinproducts.com makes it with a Heart - K mail order available http://ofdusa.com/products/golchin-tamarind-paste_120-60423

I found the link at the non-Persian bride http://www.kosherpersianfood.com/link...

[knowitall2]

Nothing can replace tamarind paste. It is abundant in Brooklyn. Try Holon grocery 718-336-7758 to ship or try associated on ave p 718-375-6815 ask for Abie. These groceries may accommodate your needs. They both stock plenty of middle eastern kosher products.

[alaninf]

You can get at most of the Israeli/Syrian stores in Brooklyn. I have seen it at Avi Glatt in Brooklyn.

[AndeB]

Shop-Rite in Englewood is now carrying the Setton Farms tamarind paste in the produce section. It comes in 16 and 32 oz. sizes.

For tamarind pods, the Whole Foods on Union Square had them as of last week. They might be at some of their other locations as well.

[DeisCane]

Someone should forward this thread to the folks at Solo who told Hung that there was no such thing.

[rebeccafriedman]

Hey PJ! Don't know if you are still working on the tamarind paste issue, but I also had a similar problem. I am a kosher personal chef, and one of my clients wanted Pad Thai. A central ingredient is tamarind paste, and I couldn't find any form of tamarind anywhere in the NY area (I am in NJ so Brooklyn was not an option). I ended up using worcestershire sauce & fresh lime juice and it tasted pretty good, but I was not satisfied. So just yesterday, I found whole dried tamarind beans at the local ShopRite (they cater to a large Hispanic population, and tamarind is used in a lot of different central and south american cuisines)

I am excited to make tamarind paste from scratch, and I am sure it will be useful for lots of different things once I have it. The main objection I have to most commercial products like this is how much sugar they use - I have lots of diabetic clients and am always looking for ways to make things sugarfree. So if you are still looking, see if you can find some pods in your closest Asian or Latin American grocery, and give it a whirl! Here is a recipe (I found it at http://www.bawarchi.com/cookbook/past...

Ingredients

500 gms tamarind
20 gms. Salt
1 tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

Method:

1. Clean and soak tamarind in 1 cup hot water.
2. Take care to remove any seeds that may be in tamarind.
3. Boil in same water after 20 minutes.
4. Cool and blend in mixie till smooth.
5. Add remaining water, mix well.
6. Pass through a sieve, removing any fibres, etc.
7. Heat oil in deep heavy pan.
8. Add tamarind paste, bring to a boil.
9. Add salt, cook till a thick coating consistency is got.
10. Cool completely, stirring in between, fill into clean sterile jar.
11. Use as required with dry spoon.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: One 1/2 jarful
Shelflife: 3 weeks, refrigerated

Happy Cooking! - Rebecca

[p.j.]

Thanks, Rebecca! Yes, I am still looking. Making my own sounds lik a good idea.

Do you have any other substitutes that you can recommend for other ingredients that are hard/impossible to find in kosher form? Like Chinese black vinegar, or a sub for oyster sauce?
Thanks again, and good luck with your career,
p.j.

[mexicanjl]

Hi p.j.,
Did you ever find the brands I mentioned when I responded to your other posting ?
Here's a reminder:
For kosher tamarind concentrate go to a mexican/latin store and go to the candy section. They sell little containers of liquid tamarind candy some with more or less amounts of sugar that you can actually use to cook. Look for the most common Mexican hecksher which is a VK with two alephs under (Mexican orthodox ashkenazi). An example is one called "Pelon Pelo Rico". Another option without much sugar but a bit spicy is a candy called Pulparindo in a yellow or red plastic wrap (red is spicier) that can be used as a paste. Pulparindo does not have a written hecksher on the package but it is supervised by KMD-Mexico (Kehillat Maguen David). To see these two examples and to buy online if you cannot find them locally, follow these two URLs:
http://www.mexgrocer.com/9247.html
http://www.mexgrocer.com/9239.html

Enjoy.

I forgot to mention a much better option called Pulpadip (brand is Lucas). It is a tamarind sauce mildly spicy perfect for cooking. It has the VK-aleph-aleph hecksher. I have used it for pad thai and also for salad dressings. To see what it looks like or ordering online check:
http://www.mifiesta.com/clu02701.html

[joshuaresnick]

Sadaf, a producer of Persian foods and spices, makes kosher tamarind paste. I bought it in L.A., not at a kosher store. You should be able to find the same brand in any store catering to the Persian/Iranian community in your area.

[koshergirl]

You should be able to just use the one you found w/o a hechsher. I do the same it's a basic item that does NOT require it. (--- signed former OU worker. )

[MaTi]

I and D glatt on ave P has it. Supposedly it is the best.

[p.j.]

MaTi,
Could you please clarify the brand of paste that you are referring to?
Thanks, p.j.

[MaTi]

I and D glatt make thier own. A 2 pound container goes for 14 dollars. We made lacham bageen, 48 of them only used about 1/4 of the sauce.

[p.j.]

Thanks for your reply, MaTi. I will put it on my list of things to shop for in Brooklyn. Unfortunately for shopping purposes, I am pretty far away.
Shabbat shalom, p.j.

[obsessedkosherfoodie]

The only place you can get it is in the kosher grocery stores on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, and even then it can be difficult to find with reliable kosher supervision. One of the stores on Kings Highway, Holon grocery, has a website and you may be able to order it from them.

[superburns]

Here in Brooklyn. They sell a kosher one from a company called Setton Farms. its something like 13 dollars a jar.

[Cacher Hound]

kavannah.co.uk has full list of strictly kosher indian pickles and pastes

[hindyg]

I emailed kavannah recently. They said that they would love to market their product in the US, they just need a distributor. Anyone in that business? I could put you in touch with that person. I would really love curry paste and black bean sauce, etc to be avalilable here. :)

Until you find the tamarind paste, lemon juice can be used as a substitute. But you have to add towards the end of cooking other you lose the sweet/sour characteristics.

I've learned this from Indian cuisine.

I found some in Deal, NJ the kosher store there. It has a chaf-k hechsher.

why not buy fresh tamarind and make your own paste. All you have to do is soak a thumb sized piece of tamarind in warm water until the tamarind starts to break up. Mix it all together, and you've got your paste

Thanks, HG. Do you know the brand name of your paste?
If I had a name, I could contact the company and find out where they distribute.
Take care, p.j.