Recipe

Tamarind-Lime Cooler

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Photo by gluttonforlife

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Spring Refresher
Chef
gluttonforlife's Notes: I drank many a tamarind soda during hot childhood summers in Mexico, and created this much-less-sweet version with lime and agave nectar. The salty-spicy rim offsets these flavors and makes...
I drank many a tamarind soda during hot childhood summers in Mexico, and created this much-less-sweet version with lime and agave nectar. The salty-spicy rim offsets these flavors and makes them shine. A tip: it's easier to squeeze limes, and they express more juice, if they're at room temp; also try rolling them on the counter first. Oh, and some tequila could slip in here, too...

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Serves 6

Syrup:

3/4 cups fresh lime juice Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups agave nectar Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate Ask a question about this ingredient

seltzer Ask a question about this ingredient

Chile Salt Ask a question about this ingredient

Chile Salt:

1 tablespoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon chile powder Ask a question about this ingredient

Combine lime juice, agave nectar and tamarind in a small saucepan. Whisk together over low heat, just to combine; about 2 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and chill.
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Stir the salt, sugar and chile powder together to combine well and mound on a small plate.
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Rub a juicy piece of lime around the rim of 6 glasses. Dip the rims into the Chile Salt to coat well. Fill the glasses with plenty of ice. Add 1/4 cup of the syrup to each glass and top off with seltzer. Stir well and garnish with a slice of lime.
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6 Comments on Tamarind-Lime Cooler

lastnightsdinner added over 2 years ago

Oh, YUM.

testkitchenette added over 2 years ago

Drinking this while imagining that I am at the beach may be in order this weekend!

dymnyno added over 2 years ago

This sounds sooo wonderful. A couple of years ago Bill Hamilton had a tamarind drink in his column "Stirred and Shaken" and I spent days trying to find tamarind. Now it seems to be readily available and I will find it and make this drink...the tequila version!

gluttonforlife added over 2 years ago

You can also make this using the tamarind paste (with the seeds still in it), but the concentrate (in a little jar) saves some time and tastes quite good.

gluttonforlife added over 2 years ago

I'll have to come see you in Guadalajara one of these days--I need to eat posole, drink tamarindo and gorge myself on cajeta!! I was just thinking that the flavor of my agave nectar reminded me of the pirulí candies I used to eat there...

wanderash added over 2 years ago

Oh my god gluttonforlife! I knew I liked your style- I am perfecting my tamarind cooler as we speak- chili salt and all. I think we are meant to have drinks together one day!