These creative Tamarind Margaritas feature a vibrant Indian/Asian influence through the addition of tamarind. Tamarind is a fruit pod native to Asia and Northern Africa, but also very popular in Latin America where it's called tamarindo. These refreshing cocktails are sweet-tart and delightfully boozy with a hefty mix of tequila and triple sec!
For margaritas made with tamarind paste (enough for 4 drinks):
¼cup(2 fl oz) water
¼cupgranulated sugar
¼teaspoontamarind paste concentrate(see notes for examples)
1cup(8 fl oz) tequila
¾cup(6 fl oz) triple sec
½cup(4 fl oz) fresh lime juice
Lime wedgesfor garnish
Kosher saltfor garnish
For margaritas made with tamarind puree (enough for 1 drink):
2ouncestequila
1 ½ouncestriple sec
1ouncefresh lime juice
1ouncetamarind puree(see notes for examples)
¾ouncesimple syrup(to make it yourself follow the instructions below in step 1 but omit the tamarind paste)
Instructions
For tamarind margaritas with tamarind paste:
Make tamarind simple syrup by combining the water, sugar, and tamarind paste in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and tamarind are both dissolved (you may need to be a bit more vigorous if your tamarind paste is extremely thick). Set aside, and cool completely.
Wet the rim of 4 margarita glasses or tumblers by running a lightly squeezed lime wedge around it. Rotate the rim of the glass in kosher salt spread on a flat plate. Fill the glasses with ice cubes.
To make 1 margarita: Combine 2 ounces tequila, 1 ½ ounces triple sec, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, and ¾ ounce tamarind simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain into a prepared glass. Serve immediately.
To make all 4 margaritas at once: In a large measuring cup or small pitcher combine all of the cooled tamarind simple syrup, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. You will have about 21 fl oz of tamarind margarita mix.
To serve immediately: shake 5 ¼ ounces of the margarita mixture in a cocktail shaker with ice, then strain into an ice-filled glass. Repeat with 3 more glasses to make 3 more margaritas with the remaining margarita mixture.
If you plan to serve these margaritas later, chill the entire mixture for several hours. When you're ready to drink, simply pour 5 ¼ ounces of margarita mix into each of 4 ice-filled glasses.
To make tamarind margaritas with tamarind puree:
Combine 2 ounces tequila, 1 ½ ounces triple sec, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, 1 ounce tamarind puree, and ¾ ounce tamarind simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain into a prepared glass (see steps above). Serve immediately. Repeat to make more margaritas.
Notes
Tamarind can come in a variety of preparations. Blocks of tamarind pulp require a bit of effort to prepare, including soaking in boiling water and then straining. Tamarind puree and tamarind paste are other options, with the paste being the thickest and most concentrated. It's extremely thick, and pitch black in color. This version will yield margaritas that look like the ones in these photos. Using tamarind puree will result in the same flavor but a more opaque drink. I've made it both ways, and they are equally great! They just look a little different depending on the type of tamarind product used.
Triple sec is usually column-distilled with neutral grain spirit. It has a dry quality and is clear in color. An example of a high end triple sec you can use if your budget allows is Cointreau.
You can use this recipe to make larger, restaurant-sized portions you certain can. Make 2 giant double margaritas, or 3 extra-generous margaritas. For the doubles just measure out 10 ½ ounces per serving, and aim for 7 ounces per serving if you're making 3 margaritas instead of 4.
To serve these margaritas in 16-ounce (pint-size) mason jars like I did, fill the jars very generously with ice and divide the margarita mixture into 3 portions of 7 ounces each. You can also serve double margaritas in this size jar, with a bit less ice.