Tag Archives: tamarind paste

Thai Spice Sweet Tea from chef john

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  • 4 1/4 cups water
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste (optional)
  • 1/3 cup white sugar, or to taste
  • 5 bags rooibos tea
  • 2 bags black tea
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk, blended smooth or milk

  • Add water to a saucepan, and place over medium-high heat.
  • Crush cardamom pods with mortar and pestle or flat of a knife. Add cardamom, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and tamarind to the saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add tea bags; stir to combine. As soon as water returns to a simmer, turn off heat, and steep for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in sugar, and let stand 5 minutes more. Strain into a container, squeezing tea bags thoroughly. Wrap container and refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour.
  • To serve, fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in tea; top with a generous splash of coconut milk.

shrimp and cauliflower curry from Floyd Cardoz

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  • 1 1/2 pounds144-145_Shrimp-Curry-with-Cauliflower_0/680 grams (21–25 count) head-on shrimp
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, finely ground
  • 1 serrano chile, sliced lengthwise in half
  • 1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets
  • One and a half 13.5-fluid-ounce cans Chaokoh-brand coconut milk (stir well before measuring)

1. Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp, reserving both. Devein the shrimp and rinse them well. Season the shrimp with salt and refrigerate.

2. Place the shrimp heads and shells in a medium saucepan, add cold water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 3 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain the stock and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, and pepper and cook until the garlic is lightly colored and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the reserved stock, the chile, tamarind paste, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the cauliflower is just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Stir in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard the serrano, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.

Changing It Up

Sometimes I make this with fish instead of shrimp, using one 4- to 5-ounce (113- to 142-gram) halibut or fluke steak per person. (The steaks come from cutting a whole fish crosswise into 1/2 – to 1-inch-thick slices. It’s a very pretty cut, resulting in a nice oblong shape with a bone in the middle and the skin ringing the steak.) Use fish stock or plain water in place of the shrimp stock; the fish’s bones and skin add depth and richness to the curry, just as the shrimp shells do. Add the fish steaks where the recipe instructs you to add the shrimp and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.