Spiced Tamarind Sherbet
A tangy chilled tamarind drink scented with cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger.
The Turkish pantry
Tamarind pulp
Sticky, tangy tamarind pulp is loosened in water and strained for şerbet. The shelled pulp here still contains seeds, which must be removed before serving.
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Shelled tamarind pulp with seeds, not a sweetened syrup or concentrated bottled sauce. The nutrition reference is for edible raw pulp only, excluding seeds and shell.
Types & forms
Shelled pulp with seeds
Pull apart or soak as the recipe directs, then strain away seeds and coarse fibers.
Seedless paste or concentrate
Strength, dilution and added ingredients vary. Read the label; do not assume an equal spoonful gives the same acidity.
What to look for when buying
- Choose food-grade tamarind pulp and check whether seeds are present. Look for plain pulp rather than a sweetened drink base.
- Follow the manufacturer’s storage instructions and choose an intact pack without mold or an unusual smell.
Prepare & cook
- Loosen the pulp in the recipe’s measured water. Press the softened pulp through a sieve and discard hard seeds and coarse fibers.
- Check the strained liquid before serving. Do not grind the seeds into the drink or assume that a seed-containing purchase weight is entirely edible pulp.
Store it well
- Keep the unopened pack as its label directs, away from heat and moisture. After opening, close tightly and refrigerate when instructed.
- Refrigerate prepared pulp liquid and şerbet in clean covered containers. Prepare only the amount needed; do not pour used liquid back into the original pack.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Unsweetened seedless tamarind paste
Use only with an adjustment for its concentration and the recipe’s water; taste after dilution.
Lemon juice or pomegranate molasses
Different acidity, sweetness and aroma; they cannot reproduce tamarind by a fixed one-for-one conversion.
Nutrition
Raw edible tamarind pulp, without seeds or shell [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 239 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g |
| Total fat | 0.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.27 g |
| Carbohydrate | 62.5 g |
| Dietary fiber | 5.1 g |
| Total sugars | 38.8 g |
| Sodium | 28 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 74 mg |
| Iron | 2.8 mg |
| Potassium | 628 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
USDA reference per 100 g of edible raw tamarind pulp. Shell and seeds are excluded; do not apply to the full purchase weight of seeded pulp, concentrate or sweetened şerbet. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Demirhindi Şerbeti combines strained tamarind with spices and measured sweetness. Straining is a practical part of making a smooth drink from pulp that contains seeds.
Cook with Tamarind pulp