Tamarind, or Indian Dates, are a member of the legume family. While tamarind is indigenous to Africa, it is widely used in cuisines around the world today, but mostly in Mexico and South Asia. Underneath the woody shell is a sticky flesh which covers big, thick seeds. It is sour and sweet, which adds a great depth of flavor to curries and sauces. In this recipe, we have made a pulp with the flesh by boiling it with water and sugar and then paired it with a spicy ginger ale- creating a wealth of flavors for your palate. For those of you of age and not faint of taste buds, we recommend tossing in an ounce of your favorite tequila. To make this recipe you will need: 1/2 cup sugar 20 tamarind pods ginger ale tequila (for those brave enough and/or old enough) Take outer shell off of tamarind pods. Place tamarind meat and sugar in a large pot with 32 oz. of water. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Let tamarind soak for an hour and a half. Once the water has cooled down, use your hands to squeeze the tamarind pulp and remove the hard seeds and the majority of the strings still attached to the pulp. Place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. To make the cooler, mix 2 tablespoons of tamarind mixture, 6 oz. of ginger ale and 1 oz of tequila.
Let's Toast: Tamarind Ginger Cooler
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