Tamarind Paste In Houston

[James Cristinian]

Watching a Gordon Ramsey Ultimate Cookery Course show, a great cooking show BBC America 264 on DTV, tamarind paste was an ingredient. The wife-a-cita has looked at Fiesta Bellaire and Hillcroft and MY HEB on Bunker Hil plus other places to no avail, any suggestions?

[mcluhan]

Just curious, but what do you plan to make with the tamarind paste? I've enjoyed the Tamarind Chicken at La Viet restaurant and have had fried fish with tamarind sauce at various Thai restaurants. That's about the extent of my tamarind experience.

[DoobieWah]

Seconded!

[DoobieWah]

I went to Le Viet for dinner Friday night and thanks to this recc, I ordered the Tamarind Chicken.

It was excellent and is by far my new favorite dish there.

Thanks, mcluhan. Great recommendation.

[mcluhan]

DoobieWah, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The food has been excellent overall the past few times I've gone there. I wonder if they have a new chef.

[James Cristinian]

The wife wants it based on the Ramsey episode. I'm going to have to double check the dvr to see what he makes. She also wants to put it in one of her many no name concoctions.

[ARenko]

I've found it at Hong Kong Market and several small asian shops around town (Asia Market on Cavalcade being my favorite). You can also buy tamarind water, which saves you the step of making it yourself from the paste.

[Lambowner]

Need to check Comcast schedule for that show, sounds interesting.

[James Cristinian]

I don't know when Comcast shows it, but it's two shows 12-1pm on DTV.

[caliking]

Go to an Indian grocery store like Patel Bros on Hillcroft and look for Tamicon. Its a thick syrup/paste type of tamarind concentrate. There is also Maggi Tamarina kind of like a tamarind sauce (think ketchup).

[DoobieWah]

I have a brick I got at Hong Kong Market on Bellaire.

I'm sure 99 Ranch Market has it also.

I'm also pretty sure ive seen it at Fiesta and the bigger HEBs.

Can't say i've seen it at Phoenicia.

[mcluhan]

I'd try the 99 Ranch Market on Blalock & I-10. I think I've seen it there, but can't remember which aisle.

[mcluhan]

Update - it's on aisle 5 near the sugar, bottom shelf. They sell bricks of it and paste in jars.

[James Cristinian]

Wow, great info. I thank you and the wife thanks you. We'll be there this weekend, and a bonus we're less than 10 minutes away.

[brucesw]

I know I've seen it somewhere. My best guess would be an Indian grocer, tamarind is a very common ingredient in Indian food. You could also check out Spec's and Phoenicia. Both have inventories online that may help.