One Pot One Shot (OPOS) Tamarind Paste!!

Tamarind is a tropical fruit used as an additive flavor in cooking. Harvested from the brown, crescent-shaped pods of the tamarind tree, the sticky pulp inside is removed from around the seeds. Also known as tamarindo and Indian date, tamarind is high in tartaric acid which adds a tart, sweet, or sour taste to dishes and drinks. From tangy soups to sweet chutneys to juices and carbonated drinks, it is a versatile ingredient used to heighten flavor in both sweet and savory dishes. The fruit comes from the tamarind tree and is cocooned inside seed pods. Indigenous to Africa, tamarind is grown in tropical climates around the world, particularly in India ( புளிய மரம் ). In remote villages, people grow this tree and sell it. The Indian tamarind will really have a different taste.

It has a date-like texture and is crushed to make tamarind paste or a less-diluted tamarind concentrate. The fruit can also be extracted from fresh pods or purchased in chunks. It is a culinary staple in the Caribbean, India, Thailand, and Mexico.

This technique is really beneficial in terms of time and wastage.

Before moving on to the technique, i wanted to mention that this technique is incorporated from OPOS. I learnt this from the group. This is kind of a staple that makes life easier. Thanks to Ramakrishnan sir for introducing OPOS !

I used my Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker in USA). One can use the regular pressure cooker too.


Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Cooking Time      : 30 minutes


Ingredients :

Tamarind  - 1 kg

Water        - 6 cups


First, break the tamarind into smaller pieces.

Deseed the tamarind. If you have seedless tamarind, you can skip this step. It’s hard to find seedless ones here in USA, so i have to do it. Few might be missed. That should not be a problem.

Once you finish removing the seeds from the tamarind, put the broken tamarind pieces into the pressure cooker. Add water.

If you are using

Instant Pot :

Use 6 quart or a 8 quart. Set the IP to Steam More option and set the pressure to High. Now, set the timer for 10 minutes. Pressure valve should be set to sealing.

Once the above process is done, IP will do its job. You have to just wait for the pressure to settle down. Then open the lid.

Regular Pressure Cooker:

Put the tamarind inside the cooker. Add water. Pressure cook it for 4 whistles. Let the pressure settle down. Then open the lid.

After adding it in the cooker

Once cooked and the pressure is released , ready for mashing

Use a stainless steel scooped utensil ( karandi ) to mash it. After mashing, leave it open for a hour. If there is water that is left over, they will get absorbed. Again, mash it nicely.

Last stage is the blending. So, this step is somewhat complicated (atleast for me). I try to skip this step because of the hassle associated with it.  Sometimes, i do this step if the mashed paste still has more fibers. If it doesn’t and if you feel its perfectly mashed, then blending is not at all required because the tamarind would have been perfectly mashed and even if you blend, it won’t be of use. The result would be the same. But if you think there are more fibers left, either hand blend it using an immersion blender or use a mixi.

I prefer an immersion blender because i) no need to wait for the paste to cool down and ii) do it in a go without the hassle of doing in batches in a mixi; larger the quantity , the mixi heats up and sometimes the seeds might damage the lids of the mixi jar (has happened for me). If you don’t have an immersion blender, use the mixi carefully without any damage. After blending, transfer it to a glass jar safely without using your hands.  I prefer a glass jar because of its long storage life.

This paste can be stored for a couple of months in refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in freezer. Use a dry spoon every time when you use.