This Tamarind Tea (Agua de Tamarindo) is rich in antioxidants and made with three ingredients: tamarind pods, water and sugar.
I grew up on this drink - anytime we had a birthday party or a special celebration, Agua de Tamarindo was served. Even though tamarind originated in Africa, it is used prevalently in India and Latin American countries like Mexico. Mexicans even make candy out of this stuff!
I found tamarind pods at my local Mexican supermarket, although they usually sell them in the ethnic food sections of your grocery store. You can also buy them on amazon. Once you make this, you will start to make it weekly in your household. I always have a jar of it in my refrigerator and it is so refreshing whenever you need a nice drink.
If you love this Tamarind Tea, feel free to pair with my Peruvian Ceviche or my Pork Birria Tacos.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Tamarind Pods
- Water
- Sugar
See recipe card for Tamarind Tea quantities.
Instructions
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and while you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare the tamarind pods by cracking them open and removing the shell and the strings.
When the water comes to a boil immediately remove it from the heat and place the soft tamarind and the sugar in the water. Give it a good stir and then let it soak for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
When the water cools down, strain the water into another bowl. Squeeze out the hard tamarind seeds and remove any remaining seeds and toss.
Place the filtered liquid and the remaining “good” pulp from the strainer into a blender and blend until smooth.
Feel free to strain the liquid again or leave it pull, as you desire.
Pour the water into a jar, add 4 more cups of cold water, and refrigerate. Serve over ice.
Substitutions
Tamarind Pods: I bought the tamarind pods on Amazon. They come dried up and you will need to crack the shells and pull out the strings. The tamarind pods are essential for this tea.
Sugar: I used cane sugar but you can use granulated or brown sugar.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add Tajin into the hot water for a spicy kick. You could also add the Tajin on the rim of the glass.
- Deluxe - add tequila and blend with ice to make a tamarind margarita!
- Kid friendly - add extra sugar for the kids to enjoy!
Check out this Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers to pair with this drink.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
When you filter the water, taste it and see if you want to blend some of the pods to add into the drink.
Tamarind Tea
- Total Time: 1 Hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Description
This Tamarind Tea (Agua de Tamarindo) is made with three ingredients: tamarind pods, water and sugar.
Ingredients
- 15 dried tamarind pods
- 8 total cups of water
- 1 cup of sugar
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and while you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare the tamarind pods by cracking them open and removing the shell and the strings.
- When the water comes to a boil immediately remove it from the heat and place the soft tamarind and the sugar int he water. Give it a good stir and then let it soak for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- When the water is cooled down, strain the water into another bowl. Squeeze out the hard tamarind seeds and remove any remaining seeds and toss.
- Place the filtered liquid and the remaining “good” pulp from the strainer into a blender and blend until smooth. Feel free to strain the liquid again or leave it pull, as you desire.
- Pour the water into a jar, add 4 more cups of cold water, and refrigerate. Serve over ice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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