Ayrton said:
Further to that thought:
In what form(s) does tamarind come? How does one work with it? Does it keep?
Okay, okay, I'll Google, but if anybody feels like adding their two cent's worth, fine by me!
I'm spoiled, Ayrton - I can get fresh tamarind pods at the market - but I usually buy it in a block. It generally has the outer pod removed and is a sticky, grungy, brown mess, wrapped in cellophane. You soak it in water and squidge it through a sieve.
You could actually leave it out if you wish - try it with a little lemon juice!
As for the texture, well I chop the mango into 1 cm dice. The ginger and other "bits" get blended to Kingdom Come, then added to the mango. Start to finish, it takes 45 minutes.
However, I should point out I've got Industrial burners in my kitchen, so maybe you'll need a little extra cooking time.
When I started my chutney business, I investigated the differences between chutney, pickle, relish, salsa, sauce, etc. A reliable Indian website said that chutney, in its original form, was far more liquid and had almost no "lumps" of fruit in it, whereas "pickle" has chunks of fruit/vegetable. Whatever - I chose the middle path and called my stuff " delicia" if I was in doubt!!