How To Make Tamarind Pulp ( Indian Basic s)

Tamarind is one ingredient that we south Indians use in our cooking every day. Starting from morning breakfast to dinner we use tamarind a lot. Like in chutneys, sambar, rasam in some curries. I can not immagen my meal with out rasam every day i use atleast 5 gms tamarind for every day. So almost all South Indians know that how much tamarind to use in a recipe (i think). Iam planing to write a post on this topic from long time but some how I am lazy to write.
Every time when i post a recipe which include tamarind normally what I do is.
Tamarind ---- one small lemon size
or
Tamarind --- one goose berry size or a golf ball size
or
Tamrind --- one inch piece or if you can use a tab sp of tamarind paste is this realy healping our abroad readers? . Realy I met some people they realy love to make Indian food and they just love to have an Indian dishes. I always get this question from my readers that you gave tamarind - one lemon size, imagan in US not only in US any place out side India lemons will be in a big size if we write like that one small lemon size what they will do?. Personaly I got some mails like this can you give the right measurment for tamarind and salt. Yes for salt normally i give like salt to taste. One newly married girl wrote to me salt to taste means how many spoons can i add for this recipe. When i saw this mail i immediately gave reply to her any way coming to tamarind...
Many people do not like their food too sour, for them can reduce the tamarind what i give in the ingredients. What i am giving will give a medium sour taste to the recipe. You can always replace the tamarind with tomato in chutneys, not in sambar and rasam. Because tamarind is the soul to these recipes but you can reduce the mesurement what i give. In this post I am trying to explain how to make and store tamarind paste(pulp). That you can use in any dish and also will try to give the right measurements . Hope this post will help some of you, If it helps you I will be very happy.
Generaly for chutneys i give tamarind a small piece or two inch piece of tamarind. For this small piece i cannot mesure this small piece in gms right? So what i can do is check this pictures
Normaly we get tamarind in India like this what i showed in the picture. 

In the above picture the left piece is 1 inch piece and the right one is 2 inch piece. What I generaly give measurement for chutneys.

In the above picture the tamarind ball is in a small lemon size. what I give for rasam and other recipes.

In this picture i tried to mesure that small lemon size ball. the neddle stands between 0 and first mark that is 10 gms. That means this small lemon size ball mesures 5 gms.

If you still have a doubt that you can not measure tamarind then take 4 two inch pieces to make a small lemon size ball.

To make 1 cup of tamarind juice soak this 2 inch pieces of tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes.

After ten minutes mash soaked tamarind with hand and drain the juice to remove fiber from the juice.

Or

You can grind tamarind in ablender add 1 cup water then strain to remove the fiber.

This tamarind juice you can store in the fridge for one day or can use it immediately to make rasam or sambar.

Now lets check how to make tamarind pulp and how we store for long time.

Take 150 gms of tamarind, remove threads, seeds and soak in 2 cups of water soak for ten minutes.

After ten minutes place soaked tamarind in presure pan cover and cook till one whistle.

Or

You can cook in a open pan till tamarind turn soft it will take 15 minutes time in a low heat.

I cooked it in preasure cooker for one whistle.

Remove from heat and let it cool.

Add 1/2 tea sp turmeric powder.

One tab sp salt.

50 ml oil mix well, add 1 cup water if reqire. Graind this tamarind mixture in a bleander for 4 seconds.

Pour this tamarind mixture in a strainer and strain well to remove the extra fiber.

If the pulp is too thick that is not able to strain tough from the strainer then add 1/2 cup more hot water and strain well.

In the end you get a thick tamarind pulp. This should look like chocolate souce consistency

Pour this thick tamarind pulp in a clean airtight container, let it cool then store it in the fridge.

You can sotre this tamarind pulp for 3 months in the fridge.

You can use this for any recipe, no need to cook more because it is already cooked so you can use it directly in any recipe. like you can use this for making pani puri pani and for sweet tamarind chutney also  . Can dilute this pulp with one cup water to make a thin tamarind juice.

Can make cubes also with this tamarind pulp to store for long time. For me i will consume this pulp with in 1 and half month so if you want can make cubes in ice try and store for long time.

If you think your pulp is little watery then pour the strained pulp in a pan and cook till it become thick in to chocolate sauce consistency.

Hope this post will be helpfull for you all.

This is my second recipe with the theme of Indian Basic s for blogging marathon 18 th edition at Vallis spice your life lets check blogging marathon page .