Tamarind

About

Outside its native tropical regions, tamarind is usually sold in block or paste form; its fruity sourness works well in both sweet and savory dishes. A block requires soaking the compressed pulp in water, then straining out the seeds and fibers to produce tamarind water or paste, while paste or concentrate has this work already done, though the flavor is generally considered inferior. Sweet tamarind is sold as whole pods containing sticky pulp studded with hard black seeds. Tamarind also appears in flavored tequilas, liqueurs, candies, and soft drinks.

Pairs well with tamarind

• SuEggIn the Thai dish "son-in-law eggs," soft-boiled peeled eggs are deep-fried until the surface turns brown and chewy while the center stays…
• FrTomatoHomemade tamarind paste shares dried-fruit, vinous and spicy notes with sherry vinegar, including a similar affinity for tomato, useful in…
• FrAppleTamarind's name comes from the Arabic for "date of India," but its flavor is closer to a sharp, dried-fruit sourness than date-like…
• CrCoconutCoconut is adaptable and mild, taking on acidic, bitter, salty or fruity flavors without losing its own character, while tamarind's sharp…
• CiGingerPuli inji is a South Indian pickle combining grated ginger, tamarind paste, sugar, mustard seeds and chiles -- a hot-and-sour condiment…
• BeMintMint appears in chaat as part of a green sauce, blended with green chile, cilantro and lemon juice, that balances the smoky, brown…
• ChCheeseWorcestershire sauce, which contains tamarind, adds a fruity sharpness that cuts through melted Cheddar particularly well when grilled on…
• FfHoneyTamarind, often used as a more intensely flavored substitute for lemon, combines with honey, vinegar and oil for a fruitier vinaigrette,…
• CiLimeLime juice and brown sugar in equal amounts can substitute for tamarind paste in a sambal, since the sugar mimics tamarind's dried-fruit…
• EaCuminStore-bought tamarind sauces often taste more of stale, pre-ground cumin than of tamarind itself, so it's worth making fresh tamarind…
• CrDateA popular Indian chutney combines tamarind pulp and jaggery (or brown sugar) with pitted dates, grated ginger, ground cumin and coriander,…
• GrChileTamarind-chili candies combine a sweet, salty, slightly tobacco-like outer layer with tamarind's fruity sourness and a notable chile kick;…
• WoSweet potatoTamarind sauce or chutney, with its balancing sourness and dense fruitiness, works better on sweet potato fries than sugary tomato ketchup.
• CrPapayaRojak, a fruit salad eaten across Java, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, dresses cut fruit in a sauce that's hot, sweet, sour and salty…
• GrOkraIn southern India, okra and tamarind combine in dishes like bhindi huli ("tangy okra") and vendakkai kuzhambu, often enriched with…