Malabar Tamarind/ Brindle berry is small pumpkin like fruit found in South East Asia which has high concentration of HCA(hydroxycitric acid) and it helps in suppressing appetite.

It is traditionally used in Indian cooking(dried form), mainly in seafood/ fish curries. It has a lot of health benefits like aiding in weight loss, keeping the blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check.

We might have come across the name ‘Garcinia Cambogia’ supplement for weight loss which gained huge popularity in the recent times among weight watchers, celebrities and Dr Oz show. Only recently I realized it is this same Tamarind that we have been using in Indian fish curries all this while. The dried form of tamarind is black in color and can be stored in clean and airtight containers for many years.

After realizing this fact I feel good every time we make fish curry at home. It is one of the  favorite dishes in Kerala(state in South India), traditionally served with rice or Yuca/ Kappa. Check my Traditional Kerala Fish curry recipe so you get to taste both the goodness of Tamarind and Indian spices in one dish. I have used tamarind in my Shrimp  Curry recipe too.