Step 1

Remove 2 Tablespoons of Tamarind paste from the tamarind brick. (More or less- the tamarind is quite sticky so it's hard to be exact.)

Step 2

Place the tamarind in a small bowl with 1 Cup of hot or warm water till the pulp has softened. (The water should have turned brown.)

Step 3

Strain the tamarind liquid through a sieve, making sure to press out all the water.Note: you may need to massage the pulp with your hands to break the strings apart.

Step 4

Discard the seeds and stringy bits left in the sieve. Keep the tamarind water for your sweet tamarind chutney (see below.)

Step 5

Pour the tamarind water into a small saucepan, followed by the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and chili. Cook over medium heat to medium-high heat till thick and syrupy. I cooked mine for about 15-20 minutes but you can shorten the time if you want a thinner sauce.

Step 6

Taste and if you've boiled it down a bit too much (and it's become a bit salty), add more sugar and/ or more water.Note: remember to stir every now and then or the sugar will catch at the bottom of the pan!