Aradeb

Ingredients

Tamarind

• 300 gSudanese tamarind slab, aradeb
• or 250 g tamarind pulp block
• 2 litreswarm water

To sweeten and flavour

• 200 gsugar, or to taste
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of ground cinnamon, optional
• a few crushed cardamom pods, optional

To serve

• ice
• tall glasses

Directions

1. Break one up with a heavy knife or a hammer. Wrap it in a cloth first to stop pieces flying. Work on a good sturdy chopping board. Break it into pieces the size of a walnut.
2. Put the broken tamarind in a large bowl. Pour warm water over the pieces. Use warm rather than boiling water.
3. Leave it to soak for at least two hours. Put both of your hands into the bowl. Squeeze and rub the softened tamarind. Work it well between your fingers. Keep working until the seeds feel bare. This takes about five minutes of steady work.
4. Pour the whole thing through a sieve. Press the pulp through with the back of a ladle. Discard the seeds, fibres and skin. Strain it a second time for a smoother drink.
5. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the pinch of salt as well. Salt lifts the fruit flavour considerably. Add cinnamon or cardamom if you like.
6. Taste it and adjust the sugar. It should be sharply sour with clear sweetness. Add water if it is too intense. Add more soaked pulp if it is thin. Cover the jug and refrigerate it. Give it at least three full hours. Stir the jug well before pouring.
7. Pour it into tall glasses filled with ice. It is also drunk through the hot months. Add it unsweetened for that purpose. Make a strong batch and keep it separate.

Technique

• Tamarind is a major Sudanese crop and the dried slabs are traded across the region.
• The same fruit is used both as a drink and as a souring agent for cooking, which is why it is dried and stored in bulk.

Substitutions

• An ordinary tamarind pulp block from an Asian shop works and is far easier to break up.
• Tamarind concentrate saves the soaking entirely but gives a flatter drink.

Variations

• Some households add hibiscus to make a mixed sour drink.
• A spiced version with cinnamon and cardamom is made for guests.
• The unsweetened pulp is kept separately for cooking.

History

Sudanese tamarind is dried into slabs that travel and keep without spoiling; soaked in water it becomes a Ramadan drink and a souring agent for stews.

Frequently asked questions

What is Aradeb?

Aradeb is a drink from Sudan: tamarind pressed into hard cakes, dissolved in water as a tart cooler. Sudanese tamarind is dried into slabs that travel and keep without spoiling; soaked in water it becomes a Ramadan drink and a souring agent for stews.

How long does Aradeb take to make?

Aradeb takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes about 2 litres. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Aradeb?

Yes, within limits. An ordinary tamarind pulp block from an Asian shop works and is far easier to break up. Tamarind concentrate saves the soaking entirely but gives a flatter drink.

What is the most important thing to get right in Aradeb?

Put the broken tamarind in a large bowl. Pour warm water over the pieces. Use warm rather than boiling water.