RASPAD OS RECIPES

Steps:

• Place tamarind pods, cleaned of all shells and peels, into a saucepan. Pour in 3 cups water, or as needed to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until water and pulp are reduced by 1/4, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Strain tamarind pulp through a fine mesh strainer into another saucepan; discard seeds. Pour remaining 5 cups water through strainer to wash as much pulp as possible into the mixture. If desired, check pulp left in strainer for any hard pieces of peel and shell and add pulp back into tamarind mixture.
• Place tamarind mixture over low heat and cook until warm but not boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir sugar into tamarind mixture until sugar has dissolved. If mixture is too thick, add 1/4 cup water. Divide shaved ice into 6 glasses and pour tamarind mixture over shaved ice to serve.

Steps:

• Put 2 cups strawberries in a medium saucepan with 1 cup water and the sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and strawberries are soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until no longer steaming hot, about 10 minutes.
• Pour cooked strawberries and syrup into a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Let cool completely (you can put it in the refrigerator to speed this up).
• For each raspado, fill a 12- to 14-oz. cup or glass halfway with shaved ice and pour in about 1/3 cup strawberry syrup. Fill cup with more shaved ice and pour in another 1/3 cup syrup. Top with 2 tbsp. chopped strawberries and pour on 1 tbsp. condensed milk if you like. Serve with a spoon and/or a fat straw.
• Make ahead: Syrup, chilled, up to 5 days. Shaved ice, frozen, up to 1 day (whirl again before serving to break up icy clumps).