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Jamu kunyit asam
Turmeric tamarind drink
Jamu kunyit asam: Java's golden turmeric and tamarind drink sweetened with palm sugar
Jamu gendong women still walk Solo and Yogyakarta lanes in the morning with baskets of bottles on their backs, and kunyit asam is the one most people buy: earthy fresh turmeric and sour tamarind boiled with palm sugar, strained and drunk cool. It tastes bright, tangy and faintly peppery, rather like a spiced lemonade. Families also make big jugs at home for hot afternoons. Chef's tip: wear gloves or scrub the board straight away; fresh turmeric stains hands, wood and plastic bright yellow within minutes.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz fresh turmericscrubbed, sliced
- 1 ⅜ oz tamarind pulp (block)
- 2 ⅛ oz palm sugarchopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 litre water
- 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Blend 3 ½ oz fresh turmeric with 300 ml of the 0.3 litre water until finely pulped.
Step 2: Pour into a pan with the rest of 0.7 litre water, 1 ⅜ oz tamarind pulp (block), 2 ⅛ oz palm sugar and 1 pinch salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently, stirring to break up the tamarind, until the colour deepens to orange-gold.
15 minStep 3: Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin, pressing to extract all the liquid. Taste and add 1 tbsp lime juice for extra sharpness.
Step 4: Cool, then chill. Serve cold or over ice; it keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed bottle.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamu kunyit asam take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of palm sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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