Tamarind paste

I love pad thai.  The best I've ever eaten can be found at Ruam Mit, a Thai restaurant in downtown St. Paul, MN.  I was introduced to that wonderful eatery when I worked at COMPAS in Landmark Center, and I've been a regular ever since.  Well, as regular as someone can be when they live 100 miles away.  Their curry and spring rolls are also very excellent.

I've tried making pad thai at home, with less than stellar results.  My most recent attempt was two days ago, using a recipe from Cook's Illustrated Skillet Dinners.

One of the ingredients is tamarind paste.  I've made tamarind paste before, but my supplies were running low, so I needed to make a new batch.  I use the recipe illustrated here in the New York Times.

First step is to get your hands on some tamarind pulp.  Here is the kind I use.

Next, break it into pieces in a large bowl.  The stuff is super sticky, so cutting it can be challenging.

Pour an appropriate (1.5 cups for every 9 ounces pulp) amount of boiling water into the bowl, covering the pulp.  Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the pulp is soft, mix well.  I like using a potato masher to break up the solid chunks.  It looks like thick beef gravy at this point.

When it's fully dissolved press it through a small-hole colander.  The recipe says to use a fine mesh sieve.  However, the last time I made this I used a sieve and it took FOREVER to press the paste through the screen.  This time I used a colander and the process went much faster, with no noticeable difference in texture.  Again, a potato masher is most helpful.

The paste can be stored in the frig for a few months, or frozen for longer storage.  

Viola!  I now have about six cups of tamarind paste for any future cooking experiments.

FYI, the results from the Cook's Illustrated recipe were disappointing.  Too vinegary, and not enough peanut flavor.  The homemade pad thai quest continues.