Tamarind Iced Tea or juice is the new lemonade to quench your thirst this summer! It is served with extra lime, cilantro and many ice cubes to make it chilled!
Homemade Tamarind iced tea is the drink to quench your thirst this summer. The hardest part of the recipe is to figure out a place where to buy those brown beans that look like fruits. Then it’s soaking them and squeezing the pulp to make this fantastic iced tea. Tamarindo has a particularly sour taste, just like lemon or lime. And just like them, tamarind needs some sugar to balance its acidity resulting in this famous ‘sweet and sour’ dynamic duo we all love.
Where is Tamarind From?
The tree comes from Africa, although now it grows everywhere from Asia to South America. Meaning this fruit is popular in those continents as well. In Mexico, they call this drink ‘Agua de Tamarindo‘, in Thailand; ‘Nam Ma Kham Wan‘, in Ghana; ‘Poha Beer‘, etc. One pod of Tamarind last about 7-9 days at room temperature, and this recipe uses them to make a fresh paste. If you don’t feel like getting your hands dirty, buy the already-made paste.
Tons of Health Benefits
Tamarind contains loads of vitamins and minerals and is a great helper for stomach problems, cardiac issues, vision issues, skin issues and much more. Some pregnant women even take it to prevent morning sickness. One single pod weighs between 5g to 25g. If you want to learn about its health benefits, check out this site here.
The Technique
If you choose to make the Tamarind paste freshly from pods, the method to make iced tea with it… is slightly more complex than with a tea bag… But the time you invest in making this “one of a kind” drink is well worth your time. First, remove the pod’s shell and pick the roots out. Then, add some hot water to the tamarind and let it rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. This process will soften the tamarind meat. Once done, you’ll have to use your hands to squeeze all the pits out and release the pulp. Later, pass the paste through a sieve to make it extra smooth and Voila!
Once you have the tamarind pulp, mix it with water and sugar, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic thirst-quenching Tamarind iced tea! It could be simple syrup, sugar, honey or even Stevia to sweeten the juice up with an extra few lime slices for decoration. Also, I’ve added some fresh cilantro for a creative touch and loads of ice cubes to guarantee a brain freeze. With this drink, you’ll get through those hot summer days without a problem.
Storage
You can easily keep this Tamarind lemonade in the fridge for a few days. Just don’t forget to mix it up before serving! As for the paste, you can store it in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 months.
Perfect for a pool party, BBQ party, new ‘avant-garde’ lemonade stand for the kids or any summer event. These recipes would match perfectly with Tamarind Iced tea:
Tamarind Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 1.5 l hot water
- 10 Tamarind pods (Approx. 150g of Tamarind paste)
- 150 g sugar (honey or 4 tbsp of stevia)
Toppings
- lime (slice)
- fresh cilantro
- ice cubes (don't be shy)
Instructions
- Take the shells and branches off the tamarind pods.
- Add boiling water to the tamarind paste and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- With your hand, squeeze the pulp until it becomes a paste and detach the pits.
- Pass the mixture through a meshed sieve.
- Add the tamarind paste to a pitcher and fill it with water; add the sugar and lemon.
- Leave in the fridge to cool for a few hours.
- Add fresh cilantro (optional) and lots of ice cubes before serving.
