Tamarind Veggies

Tamarind Veggies.

I took a little two mile jog in the new neighborhood yesterday afternoon. My route included a stretch of route 202, a major highway type of road. My plan to run on route 202 was not the brightest idea I’ve ever had. Even if the cars move away from the shoulder to avoid me, they are traveling upwards of 60 miles an hour. This is in sharp contrast to my 10 miles and hour on foot. Next time I’ll seek out an alternate route. The trouble with finding suitable running, walking or biking roads in Maine, however, is the fact that all the raods were all constructed for the sole purpose of supporting car and truck traffic. I do, however, hold out hope for the future. Surly the possibility exists that as more people start to walk and bike, the residents of small towns in Maine will demand that shoulders be expanded and room for bicycles and pedestrians will become a reality. I think I’m off topic a little….. onto to the food.

After my little two mile jog and traffic reconnaissance mission I threw a bunch of food stuffs into a canvas bag, picked up my husband downtown and headed for my mom’s house. My mom generously allows me to cook in her kitchen. I think it might be a bribe to get us to come over so that she can drink beer and doesn’t have to drive 6 miles out of town to visit us. It’s a bribe I love accepting.

Included in my travel bag of food were two new items: tamarind paste and annatto chili powder. I know that tamarind paste is used in both Indian and Thai cooking, although I’m not really sure how and I’ve never purchased the paste before, only the actual fruit. I’m also unfamiliar with the annatto chili powder although I know this spice is also frequently used in Thai cooking. Of course, my ignorance never stops me from experimenting a little.That’s half the fun of being a chemist.

When we arrived, my mom already had some rice on the stove, so all I had to do was prepare a little bit of veg and some tofu. I sliced onions, diced some garlic, cut some carrots into matchsticks, and chopped some celery and green cabbage into thin strips. I also cut ¾ of a pack of tofu into small cubes. I cooked everything in a large cast iron pan, starting with the onions and tofu in some olive oil. I added the rest of the veggies in the following order: garlic, celery&carrots, then green cabbage. Along the way I added some water to the pan as well as about two tablespoons of the tamarind paste (so sour!!!) some honey and a few teaspoons of the annatto powder. The color was a beautiful reddish brown. While cooking the cabbage I covered the pan with a lid.
The taste was subtle, a little sour, but nothing overpowering. We served the tofu and veggies over rice with a wedge of lime. My mom suggested adding raisins which provided the perfect bit of sweetness to balance out the sour tamarind.

Conclusion: subtly yummy and tangy.