Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Caribbean tamarind balls: tart tamarind pulp mashed with sugar, rolled into rounds and coated in more sugar for a sticky, moreish sweet.
Tamarind balls are a Caribbean sweet that swings sharply between tart and sweet. Sticky tamarind pulp gets mashed with sugar, rolled into bite-sized rounds, then tumbled in more sugar for a crackly shell. Two ingredients, and somehow you can never eat just one.
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Prep 15 min
Total 15 min
Easy
Preparation
- Tip the tamarind pulp and 1 cup of granulated sugar into a bowl and mash together with a spoon or fork.
- Pinch off small amounts and roll into balls in your hands, about the size of a marble or a touch larger.
- Scatter the remaining sugar over a plate or tray and roll each ball until well coated.
- Eat straight away, or leave them to set for a few hours or overnight for a firmer texture and crisper coating.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Work the tamarind and sugar together properly until the mixture is smooth enough to hold its shape when rolled.
- Coat your hands in sugar before you start; the pulp is sticky and will otherwise cling to everything.
- Be generous with the sugar coating to get that signature crunchy crust.
- Give them a few hours, or a night, to set if you prefer a firmer ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both, and that is the point. The tart tamarind plays off the sugar, so each ball lands somewhere right in the middle.
Easily. Add a pinch of salt with a little chilli or black pepper for the popular hot tamarind ball.
Several weeks in an airtight container. The sugar coating helps hold them together and keep them fresh.
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