Tamarind is the sour note underneath a great deal of South Indian cooking. Sambar, rasam, puliyodarai, most of the chutneys worth eating. Without it those dishes taste flat and you cannot quite say why.

The cake is compressed tamarind pulp, seeds and all. Break off a piece, soak it in warm water for ten minutes, then squeeze and strain. What comes out is fresh tamarind extract with far more depth than the concentrate in a jar.

One block goes a very long way and keeps for months in the cupboard.

Available in the pantry aisle at Curry Corner, North Melbourne.