Tamarind Paste
Tamarind paste is a thick, tangy-sweet paste made from the pulp of the tamarind pod, used as a souring agent across South and Southeast Asian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern cooking.
How to buy
Jarred paste or concentrate is more convenient than pressed pulp blocks with seeds and fiber, which need soaking and straining before use. Check the ingredient list for pure tamarind versus a heavily sweetened version if you want more control over the final sourness of a dish.
How to store
Once opened, refrigerate it in an airtight container, where its natural acidity helps it keep for several months to about a year. Unopened pulp blocks keep well at room temperature for a long time.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Distinctly sour and tangy with a fruity sweetness underneath, deeper and more complex than citrus acidity alone. It balances rich, fatty, or spicy dishes with its bright sourness.
- Texture
- A thick, sticky, dark brown paste that thins out when mixed with warm water; pulp blocks require soaking and straining to remove seeds and fiber before use.
- Aroma
- A tangy, slightly fruity, faintly date-like aroma from the dried pod pulp.
How to prepare
- Soaked and strained — Pulp blocks soaked in warm water, then pushed through a strainer to remove seeds and fiber.
- Mixed into sauces — Combined with sugar, chile, and fish sauce for pad thai-style sauces.
- Simmered into chutneys — Cooked down with sugar and spices into a sweet-sour condiment.
- Whisked into marinades — Blended with spices to tenderize and flavor meats before cooking.
Classic dishes
Mexican
- Agua de tamarindo — A tangy-sweet tamarind drink made by diluting the pulp with water and sugar.
- Tamarind candy — A chewy, sweet-sour-spicy candy made from tamarind pulp, sugar, and chile.
Indian
- Tamarind chutney — A sweet-sour condiment served with samosas and chaat, built on tamarind pulp and jaggery.
- Sambar — A South Indian lentil and vegetable stew souring with tamarind.
- Rasam — A thin, peppery, tamarind-soured soup served as part of a South Indian meal.
- Pulihora — Tamarind rice seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and peanuts.
- Pani puri filling water — A tangy, spiced water for filled puris, flavored in part with tamarind.
Thai
- Pad thai — A stir-fried noodle dish whose signature tang comes from a tamarind-based sauce.
- Tamarind dipping sauce for fried fish — A sweet-sour dipping sauce served alongside crispy whole fried fish.
- Massaman curry — A rich, nutty curry whose sauce is balanced with a touch of tamarind for tang.
- Tom yum with tamarind — A variation of the classic hot and sour soup that leans on tamarind for extra sourness.
Vietnamese
- Canh chua — A sweet and sour fish soup souring agent built on tamarind alongside pineapple and tomato.
Middle Eastern
- Tamarind glaze for kebabs — A sweet-sour glaze brushed over grilled kebabs, built on tamarind paste.
Filipino
- Sinigang — A sour soup traditionally soured with tamarind, often featuring pork or fish.
British & Irish
- Worcestershire sauce — A fermented condiment whose complex tang comes partly from tamarind extract.
- HP sauce — A tangy brown sauce that includes tamarind among its fruit and vinegar base.
Substitutions
- Lime — Lime juice mixed with a little brown sugar can approximate tamarind's sour-sweet balance, though it lacks its fruity depth and thick body.