Ramadan Drinks: Tamarind, Licorice, and Qamar al-Din

Ingredients

• 2 glasses of licorice Licorice
• 1/2 spoonful Sodium bicarbonate / baking soda
• 1/2 glass of water for the licorice Water
• 1 1/2 liters of water for the licorice Water
• 1 drop Orange blossom water
• 400 g Dark tamarind
• 2 liters of water for the tamarind Water
• approximately another 1/2 liter for the tamarind Water
• 1 glass of sugar Sugar
• 150 g Sugar
• 400 g Qamar al-Din apricot leather
• 1 liter of water for the Qamar al-Din Water

Instructions

1. Place 2 glasses of licorice in a bowl.
2. Add 1/2 spoonful of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda to the bowl of licorice.
3. Add 1/2 glass of water to the bowl of licorice.
4. Rub the licorice with the water in the bowl until it is wet.
5. Spread the licorice on a suitable surface or in a ventilated place for 2 hours, until it dries slightly from the moisture.
6. Place the slightly dried licorice inside a white cloth.
7. Tie the white cloth tightly into a bundle.
8. Place the bundle of licorice in a bowl containing 1 1/2 liters of water.
9. Stir or shake the bowl of licorice every so often.
10. Add 1 drop of orange blossom water to the bowl of licorice if you like this addition.
11. Leave the bowl of licorice in the refrigerator.
12. Place 400 g of dark tamarind in a pot.
13. Add 2 liters of water to the pot of tamarind.
14. Soak the tamarind in the pot if time allows, or boil it directly over the heat as a quicker method.
15. Place 400 g of crumbled Qamar al-Din apricot leather in a pot.
16. Add 1 liter of water to the pot of Qamar al-Din.
17. Place the pot of Qamar al-Din over the heat.
18. Place the pot of tamarind over the heat.
19. Turn off the heat under the pot of Qamar al-Din when it softens.
20. Turn off the heat under the pot of tamarind when it is ready for the next stage.
21. Transfer the Qamar al-Din from the pot to the blender.
22. Blend the Qamar al-Din until it is fully blended and reaches the right thickness.
23. Strain the tamarind from the pot through a sieve.
24. Rub the tamarind while hot in the sieve until its juice comes out.
25. Add a little water to the tamarind in the sieve and repeat the pressing.
26. Continue adding a little water to the tamarind in the sieve until only the seeds remain, approximately.
27. Squeeze the tamarind with your hand after the pulp cools slightly, if necessary.
28. Add 1 glass of sugar, estimated by the chef as 150 g, to the tamarind while it is hot.
29. Stir the tamarind in the bowl until the sugar dissolves.
30. Strain the tamarind a second time through a sieve to remove any remaining pulp.
31. Leave the tamarind to cool.
32. Remove the licorice, Qamar al-Din, and tamarind from the refrigerator after they have cooled.
33. Add 1 drop of orange blossom water to the tamarind after it has cooled, as the chef noted that it should not be added while hot.
34. Pour the drinks into pitchers or cups to serve cold.