Snack · 30 min · caribbean

Tamarind Balls

This is the kind of Caribbean snack you’ll make on repeat — tamarind paste and brown sugar, 30 minutes, big payoff.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 cups Tamarind paste
• 1.5 cups Brown sugar
• 0.5 cup Granulated sugar
• 0.25 Scotch bonnet pepper
• 0.5 cup Water

Steps

1. Simmer the tamarind pulp in the water for 10 minutes, then press through a sieve to remove seeds and fibers. You want a thick, smooth paste.
2. Return the paste to the pot with the brown sugar and the tiniest bit of minced Scotch bonnet — just enough for a whisper of heat at the finish.
3. Cook, stirring, until very thick and pulling away from the pot, about 15 minutes. It should hold its shape when cooled slightly.
4. Cool until handleable, then roll into 1-inch balls with sugared hands.
5. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and let them set. Sweet, sour, and faintly fiery — the Trinidadian candy that makes your mouth water before you even taste it.

Build my plan — free

← All recipes