Tamarind isn't the prettiest fruit - in fact, the first time I saw the brown pods on the ground, I thought a large pack of dogs had been through the area, leaving behind evidence of their passage (I was nearsighted at the time). After tiptoeing around the pods, being very careful not to step on any of them, a friend told me they were tamarind in its true form. I had been used to the cellophane-wrapped blocks.
Tamarind is used in African, Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines, including Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian. It has a unique sweet-sour flavour; some recipes suggest lemon juice can be substituted for tamarind, but the flavours aren't even close. Brown, sticky fresh or packaged tamarind pulp is usually stirred into hot water to soften it, then strained to rid it of seeds and fibres before use in savoury and sweet dishes, and in refreshing, cooling drinks. It's also available as a thick, dark syrup.
A Malaysian friend of mine has a repertoire of precisely two dishes (not including white rice) and on the few occasions she's cooked me dinner, I could have predicted the menu before arriving at her flat: assam fish curry with okra, and stir-fried morning glory. I'm not complaining, because she makes both dishes very well. For the fish, you can use fillets or whole fish (she uses the latter). Heat some oil in a wok or skillet and add a ground spice mix that includes crushed garlic, shallots and chillies mixed with a little curry paste and other seasonings, then stir constantly until fragrant. Add sliced onions and stir-fry for a few seconds. Stir in tamarind juice made by dissolving the pulp in hot water, then straining. Season the fish inside and out with salt, then put it into the pan and add fresh tomatoes (cut into wedges) and whole okra pods. Cover the pan and simmer the fish for several minutes then turn it over and cook the other side.
While it's cooking, occasionally spoon the sauce over the top of the fish. Serve with stir-fried morning glory and steamed white rice.
