How to dry and store tamarind?

This is a simple post capturing summer scenes of Mangalore and a slice of childhood nostalgia. Back then, summers meant making papads and sandige, and drying large batches of chillies, tamarind, and kokum at home—something almost every household here did.
Running over to a neighbour’s house (or even our own) and sneaking bites of half-dried sandige or tamarind was pure joy. Those little moments made summer so special.
Even now, I make sandige once in a while just to enjoy them half-dried. Batate Hapla peet is one of my favourites—and honestly, the half-dried ones taste the best.
This tamarind was given by someone, grown in their village, making it even more special. Adding rock salt is a traditional way to preserve tamarind for a long time, keeping those summer flavours alive.

Method

Clean the tamarind well by removing the seeds and skin. Add rock salt and mash it thoroughly until well combined. Shape the mixture into small balls, as shown. Sun-dry them for a day or two, then store in a clean glass jar or a porcelain jar (barni) for long-lasting freshness.