Okay, so I’ve been seeing these tamarind balls all over the place, and I finally decided to give them a shot. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little intimidated at first, but it turned out way easier than I thought.
Getting Started
First things first, I gathered my ingredients. You’ll need:
- Tamarind pulp (I found some at my local Asian market)
- Sugar (I used regular granulated sugar, but you could probably use brown sugar too)
- Salt (just a pinch!)
- Chili powder (optional, if you want a little kick)
Mixing it Up
I started by taking the tamarind pulp and removing any seeds or hard bits. This part was a little messy, but kind of fun. Then, I dumped the cleaned pulp into a bowl. I added in the sugar – I didn’t really measure, just eyeballed it until it looked like a good amount. I sprinkled in a tiny bit of salt, and because I like things spicy, I added some chili powder too.
The Fun Part (Rolling!)
Next, I got my hands dirty! I mixed everything together with my fingers until it formed a sticky, slightly grainy paste. It took a little bit of work, but it all came together. Once it was all mixed, I started rolling the mixture into little balls. I made mine about the size of a large marble, but you can make them whatever size you want.
The Final Touch
As I rolled each ball, I placed them on a plate. They looked pretty good, all lined up like that! Some people like to roll them in extra sugar, but I thought they were sweet enough already. And that’s it! Seriously, that’s all there is to it.
I popped one in my mouth, and it was this amazing mix of sweet, sour, and spicy. Totally addictive! I definitely see why these things are so popular. They are great to make. I made my balls.
