This refreshing sweet and sour beverage—made with tamarind, water, and sugar—is popular during the month of Ramadan. The semi-dried tamarind paste used for tamer hindi can be purchased online or at Middle Eastern grocery stores.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 10½ cups

　　12 oz. (350 g) block of semi-dried tamarind paste

　　3 cups (700 ml) boiling water

　　3 cups (1 lb. 5 oz. or 600 g) sugar

　　

Step 1

Separate the tamarind mass into chunks and place in a bowl. Cover with the boiling water and set aside for a few hours until the pulp dissolves in the water.

　　

Step 2

Rub the tamarind pulp and seeds with your fingers, and add 3 cups (700 ml) cold water.

　　

Step 3

Place the mixture in a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl and press on the tamarind to extract all the juice.

　　

Step 4

Transfer the pulp residue to a small bowl and add 2 cups (480 ml) cold water, rubbing the mixture with your fingers. Strain into the large bowl used above.

　　

Step 5

Repeat the procedure a third time with 1 cup (240 ml) water.

　　

Step 6

Add the sugar to the tamarind juice in the large bowl and stir to dissolve.

　　

Step 7

Refrigerate and serve very cold with ice and water to dilute as desired (about ¼ cup or 60 ml water per 240 ml cup of juice).

　　Cook's Note:

　　After step 3, the sour juice can be used as a substitute for lemon juice in some recipes.

　　From The Aleppo Cookbook: Celebrating the Legendary Cuisine of Syria by Marlene Matar. Copyright © 2021. Reprinted with permission from Interlink Books. Buy the full book from Amazon, Bookshop, or Simon & Schuster.