If you've bought a block of tamarind pulp or a jar of tamarind paste, you may be wondering how you'll ever use it all. Well, these recipes with sour-sweet tamarind may convince you that you've found your new go-to ingredient.
01of 16
Authentic Pad Thai
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/image-3-1-c7c9796866f1419aa3337f728dd48136.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (1)")
"Extremely delish! I doubled the tamarind mixture after reading other reviews, and it was a good amount," says Claire H. "I will be making it again very soon!"
02of 16
Tamarind Sauce Fish Curry
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/2655041-7dbff25cfa8e45f49baf392d7a4ba607.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (2)")
This fish curry, also called chepala pulusu, hails from Andhra, India. Its signature tang comes from tamarind.
03of 16
Tamarind Tofu with Vegetables and Soba
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/image-4-b5f49d5035e94352aaa1488c27eb9404.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (3)")
"Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I used whatever vegetables I had on hand," writes Buckwheat Queen, who used tamarind paste instead of tamarind pods.
04of 16
Black Chana with Potato
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/3652766-37b90bf4aef943e18d854b33d98fb6d0.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (4)")
This classic kala chana (black chickpeas) recipe melds the flavors of tamarind, ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
05of 16
Tamarind Agua Fresca
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Tamarind-Agua-Fresca-by-Kims-Cooking-Now-2000-e93a3ef2f649495183dc26c94024623c.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (5)")
"So delicious and refreshing! I used homemade tamarind paste to make this agua fresca. It's just like the one I used to drink in Mexico when I was little. My opinion is that the lime and oranges are only for garnish, as tamarind is tangy enough," Jennifer Aleman says.
06of 16
Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/4082310-3f38f9b0f0ab495d853717afccf0851b.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (6)")
"This is my version of a popular sauce that can be tweaked in a lot of ways to suit one's taste, either more to the sweet side or sour side. It's great with small fried items like fried tofu, egg rolls, or samosas," recipe creator Lana says.
07of 16
Slow Cooker Chicken Massaman Curry
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/image-3-2000-42e393b57fdb4f5c885366ee77ecfa9a.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (7)")
Recipe creator JenniferCooks sums it up: "This slow cooker chicken Massaman curry is creamy, slightly spicy, nutty, and rich with flavor."
08of 16
Marty's Thai Chicken Satay
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/image-5-03f1bffac110496e898844261d69f944.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (8)")
Our home cooks report that these marinated chicken skewers win over big groups and picky little eaters.
09of 16
Lamb Madras Curry
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/276233-df1f5e32903c4254a495a6c7905db97f.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (9)")
"Not as difficult as it looks. Gathering all the ingredients was harder for me than the actual cooking, but give yourself plenty of time if preparing it for company. It's an outstanding dish, and I got rave reviews," Stephanie says.
10of 16
Garlic-Tamarind Pork Loin
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/6517980-2000-1018b7dde1a34e8bac587a84eb035413.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (10)")
Planning a barbecue? This marinated pork loin will stand out with its zesty tamarind marinade.
11of 16
Myanmar Chicken and Jackfruit Curry
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/image-6-5df7467b39e6477484a25a00bea8f763.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (11)")
"A great alternative to Indian curries," reviewer Cherry Liu says. "I love jackfruit, so I was sold by the title. I used half garam masala and half regular yellow curry powder. I garnished with fresh bamboo shoot, cilantro, and a red rice I made with achiote molido and Szechuan pepper berries I had available in the kitchen."
12of 16
Penang Pork Satay
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/6941217-2000-65ecdfd74a924fd890c2bc061b19615e.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (12)")
Ingredients like ginger, turmeric, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, and tamarind join forces in this Malaysian-inspired pork skewers recipe.
13of 16
Egg Kulambu
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/2621386-26a60411281540cc9a57a690e51321ee.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (13)")
A staple dish in Sri Lanka, kulambu accentuates the flavors of tamarind with some added sweetness and spice.
14of 16
Singapore Chili Crabs
View Recipe
"My friends in Singapore tell me they serve this with at least twice the amount of sauce, and a type of fried roll to soak up the goodness with," Chef John says. "So, if you want to rock the chili crab like a Singaporean, then you should probably double the sauce ingredients."
15of 16
Lamb Shank Vindaloo
View Recipe
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/1060186_lamb-shank-vindaloo-280922de638e436190b7ea48750df087.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (14)")
"I've been trying to recreate the Lamb Vindaloo I get from my favorite Indian restaurant for years and this recipe proved to be a great starting point... This resulted in the best Indian meal I have ever made!" says bdkusler.
16of 16
State of Home Cooking
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/State-of-Home-Cooking-Logo-a71eca3a3856483badbc23f470f41c4d.jpg "15 Recipes That Use Tamarind (15)"){kind=logo}
We're serving up and celebrating the biggest home-cooking trends from the most enthusiastic cooks we know: our community. We crunched the data from 1.2 billion annual Allrecipes.com visits and 2.5 billion annual page views. Then we dug even further, surveying Allrecipes cooks about what's in their carts and fridges, on their stovetops and tables, and on their minds. Tamarind is just one of the topics they're most curious about. See more of the "State of Home Cooking" special report.
