Tamarindo Candy
Homemade Tamarindo Candy! Transform tamarind pulp mixed with sugar and chile powder into a fun and delicious candy. This is a staple snack for any Mexican food lover!
Servings 24 balls
Calories 64kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Tamarind pods Skin removed with seeds in.
- 1 cup hot water to hydrate the tamarinds
- 16 ounces White sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Chili lime seasoning or chili powder like tajin
- 4 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- Extra sugar and chili powder to coat balls
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the peeled tamarinds and add the hot water. You only want enough water to coat the fruit and start the softening process.
- Soak the tamarind pods for about 20 minutes but stir them often to ensure they get coated evenly.
- Prior to adding all of the ingredients, cut the tamarinds in chunks (with your hands) and remove as many of the fiber (veins) as you can. Don't worry if not all of them are removed...it's perfectly normal to find them in tamarind candy. (See note #1)
- With a spatula or spoon, incorporate all of the ingredients together until a paste is formed.
- Place the tamarind paste in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to let it rest.
Form the balls
- To form the balls, dampen your hands with water so that the paste does not stick to your hands. Roll the paste in your hands until a ball is formed.
- For sweet candy roll the balls in sugar with two spoons. (See note #2)
- Follow the same steps for rolling them in the chili lime powder.
- Store in a sealed container up to 1 month. Enjoy!
Notes
#1 Don't remove the seeds. They are an integral part of forming the balls as they help keep ball's structure.
#2 For the sugar coating, don't use your hands to roll the balls in the sugar. The heat of your hands will melt the sugar and will create a mess!
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g