We are making a refreshing and spicy ginger tamarind drink — a Northern Ghanaian drink also known as Lamurge/Hausa Beer. This drink, like many Ghanaian drinks, is packed with spices, ginger, heat, and a lot of flavors. It is very healthy and very refreshing.
Mocktails, wellness shots and healthy juices have become incredibly popular lately and I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight some incredible African ingredients. Like many parts of the world, the African continent is blessed with a bounty of herbs, teas, and spices that are used to make drinks that offer medicinal properties.
What is Lamurgee/lamurji
Lamurji is a Northern Ghanaian drink made from tamarind, spices, sugar, and ginger. It is a popular drink for Muslim Ghanaians during Ramadan as it is both refreshing and hydrating but also medicinal. This drink highlights some of the unique and indigenous ingredients found on the continent like tamarind, and indigenous spices as well as other ingredients introduced into the continent like Ginger.
Medicinal Value of Lamurji
Tamarind, the star of this drink, is indigenous to the African continent and is used in different ways from drinks to marinades (check out my Mishkaki Tofu for a great tamarind-based recipe). Now, tamarind is equally important in South Asia and South East Asia where it is found in a diversity of stews and sauces. Tamarind is sour but has a subtle sweetness and is packed with a ton of good nutrients. It is high in magnesium, potassium, and iron as well as a number of B vitamins.
Ginger is known to be great for digestion and nausea with a good dose of antioxidants. It is not the ingredient included in many “wellness” shots for these properties.
Indigenous spices like grains of paradise are understood in my culture to be both delicious and serve medicinal purposes. Spices are integral to a healthy diet as they add both flavor but also a great amount of phytochemicals — a group of compounds that have antioxidant properties. Phytochemicals include antioxidants that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors.
What you will need to make Ginger Tamarind Drink
- Tamarind: I am using a pack of tamarind I got from Amazon. It is literally just fresh tamarind in a pack with no added ingredients. You can also use fresh tamarind that you will have to peel yourself
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is the best. And if you are not using organic, please peel the ginger
- Spices: The spices are customizable. I used cloves, red chili peppers, and grains of paradise (you can sub for black peppercorn)
- Sugar/Sweetener of choice: Tamarind is quite tart so sugar is definitely needed. Feel free to use any sweetener of choice, whether it is white sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, dates, or liquid sweetener of choice.
How to make Ginger Tamarind Drink
- Soak the Tamarind: Soak the tamarind in clean water to soften
- Blend the ginger and spices with water till smooth
- Strain the tamarind and ginger mixture into a bowl
- Combine the two mixtures and add a sweetener of choice.
- Serve with ice or sparkling water
If you like this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
Ginger Tamarind Drink
Ingredients
- 100 g tamarind
- 1 small root ginger 1/3 cup – 45g
- 2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp small dried chilis optional
- 1 tsp grains of paradise
- 3 large dates
- Sugar to taste
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind in 3 cups of water (about an hour or even overnight)
- Blend the ginger, dates and spices in 2 cups of water with the other spices and dates
- Strain everything together into one bowl. I will advice to strain twice to get as much of the chaff out
- After everything is strained add your sugar/sweetener. Start with a few tablespoons and adjust to your personal preference.
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