If you love Pad Thai, you might not realize one of the spices that make it so delicious is – drumroll please – tamarind! Tamarind is a spice that is especially popular in Indian and Thai cuisine, but it’s also in the famous Bloody Mary.
What other common dishes and sauces (and drinks!) contain tamarind? We’ll review seven of the most popular in this article, but they include:
- Agua fresca
- Chutneys
- Curries
- Marinades
- Pad Thai
- Tamarind sauce (and cocktail base)
- Worcestershire sauce
Keep in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive, and you can use tamarind in anything you want! What does it taste like, though? We’re glad you asked…
What is tamarind?
Tamarind is a spice that comes from the pods of the Tamarindus indica tree, which is native to Africa. You can find tamarind in a dried and ground powder (similar to many other spices) or a paste form.
The flavor of tamarind varies depending on the ripeness of the pods, as well as what other ingredients tamarind is mixed with. Tamarind is often described as having a “sweet and sour” flavor which makes it popular for both sweet and savory dishes.
Unripe tamarind (green tamarind) is generally more sour and acidic while ripe tamarind (brown tamarind) has more of a pleasant sweet but sour flavor. (The acid in tamarind comes from tartaric acid, which turns out to be a great meat tenderizer!)
Which dishes and sauces contain tamarind?
Tamarind is especially popular in Indian and Thai cuisine (especially Pad Thai), but it’s an ingredient in a slew of other dishes and sauces. We’ll review nine of the most popular types of dishes and sauces that contain tamarind below!
1. Aguas Frescas
Aguas Frescas (which translates to “cool waters” in Spanish) are a type of non-alcoholic drink that typically contains a fruit or vegetable, a sweetener, lime juice, and fresh herbs. Agua fresca is a popular drink in Mexico as well as parts of Southwest America and Latin American countries.
Tamarind is a popular addition to agua fresca because of its unique sweet and sour flavor. One recipe for tamarind agua fresca from Allrecipes calls for water, ice, tamarind concentrate (which can be found in many Asian or Mexican markets or similar dedicated aisles in grocery stores), sugar, lemon, and lime.
2. Chutneys
Tamarind is a popular ingredient in Indian foods which uses a lot of chutneys. What is chutney, exactly? According to the Food Network, chutney is a condiment made from chopped fruit, vinegar, spices, and sometimes sugar.
Tamarind chutney (aka Imli Chutney) is a popular condiment used in Indian cooking. In addition to tamarind, tamarind chutney also contains ingredients like dates, jaggery (a type of unrefined sugar also called panela, turbinado sugar, etc), and red chili powder.
3. Curries
Like chutney, curry is a well-known Indian staple. Curries are dishes that often contain ingredients like onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, and a protein like chicken, lamb, or lentils. The signature flavor of curries comes from spices like turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, ginger, and cardamom.
Tamarind adds a distinct flavor to curries and pairs well with savory flavors like garlic, peanut, and soy sauce as well as fruit.
4. Marinades for meat and poultry
The tartaric acid in tamarind is a great meat tenderizer, which helps to soften thicker cuts of meat before cooking as well as adding flavor. You can find tamarind in recipes for marinades which might contain other ingredients like garlic, lime, ginger, and chile peppers.
5. Pad thai
Likely one of the more well-known dishes that contain tamarind, Pad Thai is one of THE most popular items on Thai food menus. Pad thai is a stir fry that contains rice noodles, a savory sauce containing tamarind, a protein source like shrimp, chicken, or tofu, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts.
The other ingredients in the savory sauce besides tamarind often include fish sauce, garlic, shallots, and others depending on the recipe, or pre-made Pad Thai sauce.
6. Tamarind sauce (and cocktail base)
It might seem a bit anticlimactic, but tamarind is of course the main star in tamarind sauce. Besides curries and Pad Thai, some people love the flavor of tamarind in their mixed drinks! Tamarind-flavored cocktails (like a tamarind daiquiri or tamarind Arnold Palmer) call for a tamarind sauce/cocktail base like Food & Wine’s recipe that contains:
- Tamarind
- Lemongrass
- Ginger
- Coconut or brown sugar
- Makrut lime leaves
7. Worcestershire sauce
Hard to spell and pronounce, Worcestershire sauce is a versatile sauce used in cooking, in marinades, and even in cocktails like the famous Bloody Mary! It has a unique umami flavor – also known as “savory”.
What else is in Worcestershire sauce besides tamarind? Here are the other ingredients in Lea & Perrins “The Original” Worcestershire sauce:
- White vinegar
- Molasses
- Sugar
- Salt
- Onions
- Anchovies
- Garlic
- Chili pepper
- Natural flavorings
FAQs:
If you don’t have tamarind paste and a recipe calls for it, you can substitute a mixture of dates, prunes, apricots, and lime juice to try to recreate tamarind’s signature sweet and sour flavor.
Tamarind paste is a mixture of tamarind pulp mixed in water and is used for cooking. Tamarind concentrate is a similar product but thicker and well – more concentrated – and can be mixed with water to make tamarind paste.
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