27 tamarind recipes

Masala Vangi: baby eggplants stuffed with toasted coconut, coriander, and cayenne, then simmered and drizzled with tangy ginger-tamarind sauce. A vegetarian Indian classic.

Seared double-cut pork chops glazed with tamarind and molasses, served over roasted sweet potatoes with a rich mole cream of pepitas, pistachios, pine nuts, and roasted poblano.

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.

Fresh mint and coriander chutney with tamarind, green chili, and onion ground into a bright, tangy paste. A no-cook Indian condiment that keeps in the fridge for a week and pairs with samosas, kebabs, and chaat.

Chicken sinigang with bone-in pieces sauteed with garlic and tomatoes, then simmered in a tangy tamarind broth with radish and mustard greens. Filipino comfort food in one pot.

Lon Tao Jiao: a Thai coconut milk and fermented bean sauce dip served with raw cucumber, cabbage, and green beans. A salty-sweet-sour Thai vegetable platter.

A quick Thai wok-fried chicken with crispy garlic, red chillies, oyster sauce, fish sauce, tamarind, bamboo shoots, and fresh coriander. Bold flavor in 30 minutes.

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.

A South Indian-inspired sambar stew with Brussels sprouts and green beans simmered in a spiced yellow lentil purée with tamarind, mustard seeds, and fenugreek. Vegan, protein-rich, and served over rice.

Sinigang na manok features chicken sauteed with garlic and tomatoes, then simmered in a sour tamarind broth with icicle radish and peppery mustard greens. A hearty Filipino one-pot meal.

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.

Spinach moong dal: tender yellow split mung beans simmered with spinach, tamarind and turmeric, finished with a sizzling tadka of mustard seeds, fenugreek and dried chiles. South Indian comfort food.

Authentic pad thai with rice noodles, dried shrimp, fried tofu, tamarind sauce and crushed peanuts. Real Thai street food, not the gloppy Westernized version.

A spicy and delicious dish that calls for canned tomatoes, red chili peppers and rice flour.

Madras beef curry slow-simmered with whole cloves, cardamom, green chilies, ginger, and tamarind. A fiery South Indian-style curry with tender braised beef cubes.

Pitlai is a South Indian lentil stew with bitter gourd (karela), chickpeas, tamarind, and a ground coconut-spice paste. A tangy, complex vegetarian curry with toor dal and jaggery.