How Much Tamarind Concentrate Is Equivalent To Tamarind Pulp?

It is fairly to easy to find tamarind pods in Manhattan's Chinatown.
They look like fava bean pods that have dried out and turned brown as a
paper bag. The advantage of getting the pods is that you control how
much sugar goes into the recipe. You also end up with a much fresher
tasting product than the pastes you buy.You snip open the pods, and use
the dull side of the knife to scrape out the fleshy part along with the
seeds. The pods are brittle, so this takes some skill. You may find
that a short soak in cold water will make it easier to deal with the
pods. The type that you find in CT own seem to be the uniformly sour
type. In Southeast Asian markets, you will see another type which
is naturally sweet. Place the contents of the pod in a small bowl of
hot water and let it steep much as you would do with dried mushrooms.
Knead the pulp to release more of the solids into the water. Since it
doesn't keep that well in the fridge (a week at most), I would only
make enough for one or two meals. Keep in mind that tamarind is a bit
laxative (like dried apricots), and so moderation is in order.