As it happens one of my wife's cousins has a business making candies, and she was kind enough to give a little more information on this tamarind candy: however it was a phone conversation, and the recipe is certainly not a complete specification - merely a basis for a little experimentation.

So, if it will help, here is what she said:

Take three cups of hot (not boiling) water, and soak one and half cups of tamarind paste in it for about an hour, then squeeze the paste through a fine muslin cloth to extract as much juice as possible and then boil it to reduce it to two cups of tamarind juice.

Whilst still boiling, stir in one and half cups of sugar (she suggests palm sugar, but light brown sugar will do), until fully dissolved, then add one to 2 teaspoons of powdered red chili and a pinch of salt and continue to boil and reduce.

meanwhile get a few cold glass plates or saucers, and when you think the liquid is sufficiently reduced put a few drops on a plate and leave in the fridge for 5 minutes to see if it sets.

Once it sets, pour all the liquid into a shallow tray and leave to set, then cut into bite sized pieces, dust with icing sugar and keep in a well stoppered jar.

Ps: if your attempts don't set, pour them on croutons, and serve them as "unusual" bites on the apperitif tray...

Chile-Heads Digest V3 #083

From the Chile-Heads recipe list. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.