Dish
Sweet
Tamarind Balls
The Rock of Bral · Sweet
Diet
Vegetarian
Makes
18 tamarind balls
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tamarind pulp (see Cook's Note)
- ¼ cup tightly packed, quartered pitted dates (quartered lengthwise)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons large-crystal sugar (such as Turbinado or Demerara)
Instructions
- Using your fingers, break up the tamarind pulp into very small bits, feeling for whole seeds or large fragments and removing any that you discover. Transfer to a food processor or mini chopper. Add the dates, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt and process or chop until the ingredients are combined and very finely chopped, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
- Place the large-crystal sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Roll 2-teaspoon portions of the tamarind mixture into eighteen scant 1-inch balls, gently pressing as you roll to help them cohere. Working with three or four balls at a time, roll them in the crystal sugar, pressing gently to help it adhere. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Cook's Notes
Rectangular blocks of tamarind pulp are available at many international markets. Often the package says that the pulp is seedless, but that's not always the case. Make sure there are no seeds before adding the pulp to the food processor.
Large-crystal sugar, such as Demerara, Turbinado, or Trader Joe's organic cane sugar, makes a particularly pretty coating, but you can certainly use regular granulated sugar.