Tamarind is a bit of an exotic ingredient. It's a rather ugly and fibrous fruit with a seriously sour tang. Tamarind needs to soaked in hot water and then strained to extract the juice before you can use it. When the juice is mixed with a sweetener and some spices, it makes a heavenly sweet and sour sauce for dipping or as a salad dressing. You should be able to find packages of seedless tamarind pulp at any Asian or East Indian market.
I used Parnoosh brand pitted Sayer dates. Go ahead and use pitted Medjool dates if you prefer. I gave the amounts by weight in case you wanted to use a different type of dates.
I kept the spices mild. You can turn up the heat on the sauce by adding some ground cayenne pepper to taste. Start with 1/8 teaspoon and add more if desired.
55 grams (1/4 cup) seedless tamarind pulp
110 grams (1/2 cup) pitted dates
2 cups water
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
or
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup gluten-free millet
1/2 cup red lentils, sorted and washed
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 1/2 cups water
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop out about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture and form into a round ball with your hands. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet. When all the mixture has been made into balls, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 205C/400F.
When the oven is ready, bake the balls for 20 minutes, turn them over, and bake for 20 more minutes. Serve.
Beans and Rice