16 tamarind sweet sauce recipes

Indonesian nasi goreng (fried rice) with shrimp, chicken, and barbecued pork, built on a shrimp paste and chili spice paste with tamarind and kecap manis. Authentic Southeast Asian flavor.

Indian tamarind chutney (imli ki chutney) made from soaked tamarind pulp with toasted cumin, chili, and mint. The classic tangy-sweet dipping sauce for samosas, pakoras, and chaats.

An easy homemade pad Thai that skips hard-to-find tamarind, leaning on fish sauce, vinegar, and paprika for that sweet-sour-salty tang. Chewy rice noodles tossed with tofu, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts.

Singapore chilli crab: cracked blue swimmer crabs simmered in a sweet-tangy tamarind, ginger and bird's eye chili sauce. Hawker stall classic, messy, hands-on, completely worth the cleanup.

Thai broiled lobster in tamarind sauce with palm sugar, fish sauce, fried garlic, and crispy shallots. Sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in one stunning seafood dish.

Indonesian rujak fruit salad tosses cucumber, jicama, mango, papaya, pineapple, and Granny Smith apple in a chunky peanut, chile, palm sugar, and tamarind sauce. Sweet, sour, salty, fiery in one bite.

Lone dao jiow, a Thai coconut dipping sauce with bean sauce, shallots, palm sugar, and tamarind served with fresh cucumbers, cabbage, and green beans. Salty, sour, and sweet.

Date chutney (khajoor chutney) with tamarind, cumin, and red pepper flakes pureed into a thick, sweet-tangy Indian condiment. Just 6 ingredients for an authentic dipping sauce for samosas, chaat, and pakoras.

Fiery Assam-style spicy shrimp wok-fried in tamarind, oyster sauce, ginger, and chili. A bold Malaysian shellfish dish with sweet-sour-spicy layers. Serve over rice.

Seeni sambol is a sweet-savory Sri Lankan onion sauce with deep-fried golden onions simmered in tamarind coconut milk with Maldive fish, cardamom, and chili. Addictive on everything from rice to bread.

A smoky-sweet blender sauce made from tamarind paste, chipotle peppers in adobo, brown sugar, garlic, and lime. Drizzle it on grilled shrimp, tacos, wings, or anything that needs a kick.

Chicken pad thai: soaked rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, egg, and a sweet-sour-salty tamarind sauce, finished with peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime. Better than takeout in 30 minutes.

Grilled salmon fillets rubbed with turmeric and black pepper, then topped with a tangy-sweet tamarind sauce loaded with garlic, serrano chiles, and green onions. Bold Southeast Asian flavors in 30 minutes.

Tamarind water gives a perfectly balanced tart and sweet dipping sauce its attractive deep lemon color and out of the ordinary taste is just amazing. The sauce is delightful with Vidalia onion Fritters and other foods fried foods and chips.

Vegan tofu filets pan-fried and simmered in an apricot Dijon sauce with orange juice, tamari, and garlic. The sauce reduces by half into a glossy, sweet-tangy glaze that clings to every slice.

Crispy General Tao's chicken coats golden fried chicken in a sticky sweet-and-savory sauce of brown sugar, soy, garlic, and ginger with a kick of chili. Better than takeout, easily made gluten-free with tamari, and ready in about 25 minutes.