In the production kitchen last week I helped make over 300 jars of Atina Food’s Inji Puli—Ginger Tamarind herbal jam. The sweet, earthy smell of freshly toasted black peppercorns, mustard seeds, fenugreek leafs and warm tamarind fruit pulp lingers in my memory as an unplaceable yet irresistible scent— reminiscent of buttery popcorn with rich chocolatey undertones and zesty, floral ascents.
First we cleaned, chopped and blended the ginger—the spicy star of the jam—into small shredded pieces. Then the black peppercorns, mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds get dry roasted, which Suresh explained help enhance their flavor and medicinal qualities. Whole spices tend to maintain more flavor than ground spices because of less exposure to air. After being toasted, the black pepper and various spices are ground into fine powders. Jaggery, unrefined cane sugar, is then melted down in hot sesame oil (natural preservative) forming a sticky, thick liquid consistency, forming the base of the jam. Tamarind extract is prepared by boiling whole tamarind (skin, seeds and stems removed). The fresh tamarind fruit gets dissolved in the water and is then further boiled to create a thick extract. Once ready, all the ingredients are combined in a large wok, and the unique aromas of ginger, tamarind fruit pulp and spices begin to unite. My job was to slowly mix until it reached a boil, making sure nothing got stuck to the bottom and burned. As the color darkened and scent intensified, it was eventually ready to be jarred! We tirelessly worked our way through two woks filled to the brim with Inji Puli—leaving the kitchen with 25 filled boxes… and a jar to take home and use myself.
Carrie mentioned chocolate pairs excellently with Inji Puli so I set out to create this tart! The filling is coconut oil based with rich cacao and crunchy bits of roasted almond; the sweetness and flavor comes from two large spoonfuls of Atina’s Inji Puli. The three ingredient raw almond crust is easy to prepare and helps balance the jam’s gingery kick.
Inji Puli Chocolate Almond Tart
FILLING
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tablespoons Inji Puli
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup shaved or chopped roasted almonds
CRUST
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
STEPS
Combine crust ingredients in bowl, using hands to mix and roll into ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
When ready to use, press into a circular dish with raised sides or tart dish (around 5-7 inches wide) lined with tin foil.
In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat and mix in cacao powder, Inji Puli and almond butter until smooth. Stir in half the almonds.
Pour chocolate mixture onto the crust and sprinkle with the remaining almonds and any colorful toppings on hand, we used calendula flower petals!
Place into freezer for an hour or until solid, remove tin foil, slice into pieces and enjoy! Store in freezer.
- Olivia Miller, onlygoodsimple.com
