Tamarind Chicken

In Asia, the Tamarind tree is not just beautiful, but it is popular for its unique and tasty fruit. However, its sweet-sour fruit is not the only thing that matters. The flowers, seeds, bark, and leaves are beneficial for cooking and for medical purposes as well at least for Eastern medicine. The fruit has an exotic flavor that is different from other Asian fruits. These are long, brown-shell pods containing seeds enveloped with a fleshy, juicy, and sticky pulp. The mature fruit can be made into desserts, such as tamarind candy or jelly. The sweet dried pod can be eaten as a snack.  The pod also can be made into a paste to use for cooking as a spice. Today’s recipe is easy to make with tamarind paste. I like the sweet and sour of this dish. The health benefits of consuming tamarind are a long list that promotes digestion, a boost to the immune system, keeping a healthy heart, and supporting blood circulation, etc.… The tamarind chicken is a tasty and healthy dish.

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of chicken breasts or thighs 

1/4 cup tamarind paste

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 piece of fresh ginger, chopped (about 1 tbs)

1/2 white onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 tbs sugar

2 tbs oyster sauce

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbs cooking wine

1 tbs Korean sweet chili sauce

Other ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

2 green onions, sliced and chopped cilantro

Directions:

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

In a bowl, add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and marinate for 1 or 2 hours.

Drain the marinade and keep for later use.

In a medium pan or wok, add oil until almost smoking.

Add chicken and cook until the chicken turns golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add the reserved marinade to the wok and bring to boil. Cook the marinade, adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add the now cooked chicken back into the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened.

Sprinkle the chopped green onions and cilantro on top and serve with cooked brown rice.

Tamarind ingredients:

 1 package tamarind without seeds

2 cups or more of hot water

 1-Separate the dried tamarind into small chunks and place in a medium bowl.

If using whole tamarind, peel off the tamarind skin and use the meat of tamarind paste.

 2-Pour boiling water over the tamarind until it is completely submerged.

Cover with cling film and leave for 30 to 45 minutes. Occasionally, stir the tamarind with a fork. Then, after the water cools, use your fingers to rub hard to separate the tamarind from the seeds until you can work find any tamarind without seeds. The tamarind juice mixture will become thick and mushy.

 3-Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Then pour the tamarind juice mixture on top and remove all the fiber and seeds. Use a tablespoon to press firmly to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Grate tamarind from the bottom of the sieve into the bowl.

 The final mixture should be thick, almost like ketchup. Transfer the tamarind to a clean jar or container. The tamarind can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

 

Most Asian grocery stores now now so ready-made tamarind paste or juice.