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    Home » Vegetables » Edible garden recipes

    Published: Jun 28, 2025 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    35 Easy Tamarind Recipes (Beyond Indian)

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    6 easy tamarind recipes with text in between.

    A beginner's guide to Tamarind (Asam Jawa) including how to cook and store it + 35 easy tamarind recipes that go beyond Indian recipes; Tamarind Chutney Sauce, Sweet & Sour Pad Thai, Spicy Fish Curry, a Tamarind Drink and more! Perfect for Christmas dinner or a regular weeknight meal.

    A plate of red chicken curry, or chicken vindaloo
    I always thought Vindaloo was Indian, but apparently its roots are Portugese! Learnt these from the Meera Sodha cookbook
    Jump to:
    • How to Use
    • Rice & Noodles
    • Snacks
    • Seafood
    • Prawns
    • Meat
    • Sauces
    • Curry
    • Chutneys & Pickles
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • What is Tamarind?
    • Health Benefits 
    • How to Make Tamarind Paste
    • How to Store 
    • Where to Buy
    • 💬 Comments

    How to Use

    Tamarind fruit can be found in its:

    1. unripe green form: although it's quite hard to find- there's no need to de-seed, just chop it up and add to tamarind chutney or pickles
    2. ripe (brown) form: it has a hard shell which you break open, remove the seeds and use the pulp. (More below on how to use the pulp to make homemade tamarind paste)
    3. processed into a block of tamarind pulp
    4. paste form: this is the easiest way to use tamarind- most Singaporean tamarind recipes use tamarind paste. The pulp has already been removed from the fruits, de-seeded and pressed into blocks. Usually, Singaporeans add water to this paste, then squeeze it through a cheesecloth to get assam water (tamarind juice). If you want to make your own tamarind paste, scroll down for instructions.
    5. powder form (dehydrated tamarind)

    Note: ripe brown tamarind and tamarind paste have long shelf lives when refrigerated

    One of the simplest tamarind sauce recipes would be to mix tamarind paste with fish sauce, some sugar or maple syrup, fresh red chillies and red onions (sliced) and maybe a tinge of lime juice to make a spicy Asian salad dressing with a tangy flavor.

    Rice & Noodles

    Spicy Fried Rice

    A plate of Thai inspired fried rice with shrimps
    Make an extra batch of the Thai chilli and freeze it for future use!
    Spicy Thai fried rice
    The trick to any fried rice is to use day old rice- it's not as wet as freshly cooked rice and makes for a better fried rice texture. (Do make sure you store the rice properly as rice can give you very bad food poisoning if stored improperly!) However, this Thai fried rice by That Spicy Chick is so full of bold flavours from the spice of the chilli to the tang of the tamarind that it tastes great even when cooked with freshly made rice! 🙂
    Click here for Thai fried rice.
    A plate of Thai inspired fried rice with shrimps

    Cabbage Rice

    Tamarind is wonderfully versatile- besides the spicy Thai fried rice shown above, it's also used in Indian cuisine to make tamarind rice which, despite using some of the same main ingredients, tastes very different!

    Close-up of a Cabbage Fried Rice.
    Cabbage and tamarind rice
    A delicious Indian classic by Mildly Indian, this is perfect if you have lots of cabbage to use up!
    Click here for tamarind rice.
    Close-up of a Cabbage Fried Rice.

    Mee Siam Noodle Soup

    A bowl of sumptuous Mee Siam Noodles with prawns, egg, tofu and Chinese Koo Chye.
    Singaporean mee siam kuah
    Spicy, tangy, sweet and a little salty, what's not to like about this Peranakan classic?
    Click here for a Singapore mee siam recipe.
    An overhead shot of a bowl of Singapore Wet Mee Siam with soup.

    Stir Fried Noodles

    Dry mee siam with prawns and hard boiled egg

    If you prefer your noodles stir-fried, there's also a dry stir-fried version:

    Mee siam goreng
    Dry versions of noodle soups always taste more intense and this mee siam goreng is even more delicious than the gravy version!
    Click here if you prefer your mee siam stir-fried (Malaysian-style.)
    A pair of chopsticks grabbing some fried mee siam goreng with eggs and red chili.

    Pad Mee Korat

    A fork dipped into a plate of Pad Mee Korat, a Northeastern Thai spicy stir fried noodle
    A lesser known noodle than Pad Thai, but just as delicious!
    Pad Mee Korat
    Pad Mee Korat is the less-famous cousin of Pad Thai, and also somewhat similar to Mee Siam, which I had just listed above (however, unlike mee siam, it doesn't use belacan or dried prawns so the taste is much less savoury though still delicious!) Try this spicy and tangy NorthEastern Thai stir fried noodle dish by That Spicy Chick.
    Click here for Thai noodles.
    A fork dipped into a plate of Pad Mee Korat, a Northeastern Thai spicy stir fried noodle

    Pad Thai

    Pad Thai noodles on a white palte with a wedge of lime.
    Pad Thai Noodles
    This recipe by Mission-Food is made the Thai way, with tamarind and not lime juice!
    Click here for a Pad Thai recipe.
    Pad Thai noodles on a white palte with a wedge of lime.

    Snacks

    Chaat

    A colorful plate of samso chaat topped with tamarind dressing.
    Samosa Chaat
    This is a popular Indian Street Food that is quite a project to make- you need samosas, chickpea curry, the dressing etc- but this Tiffin and Tea Official recipe looks so good I couldn't resist adding it to this collection of tamarind recipes! Don't forget to pair it with these Indian chaat dipping sauces!
    Click here to make your own Indian street snack.
    A colorful plate of samso chaat topped with tamarind dressing.

    Egg Rolls

    Golden egg rolls on a platter.
    Pad Thai stuffed in Egg Rolls
    This is a clever variation of pad thai by Went There 8 This, especially if you make too much of the noodles!
    Click here for the egg rolls recipe.
    Golden egg rolls on a platter.

    Seafood

    Salmon

    Fish fillets glazed with tamraind garnished with herbs
    You can also make a delicious seafood sauce by cooking tamarind and sugar. It's very popular in Singapore and Malaysia!
    Salmon with a tamarind and honey glaze
    Tamarind and fish are a natural pair. Try this Caramel Tinted Life recipe today!
    Click here for tamarind salmon.
    Fish fillets glazed with tamraind garnished with herbs

    Prawns

    Overhead shot of prawns cooked in ghee.
    Mangolorean roasted prawns
    Delicious and relatively easy, this Tiffin And Tea Official recipe doesn't call for ingredients that are very exotic so won't require a special grocery trip!
    Click here for the roasted prawns recipe.
    Overhead shot of prawns cooked in ghee.

    Meat

    Did you know that tamarind is a great meat tenderiser (thanks to its acidity)?

    It works particularly well with thick slabs of beef and pork. Don't marinate for too long though or the acid in the tamarind will affect the meat's texture.

    Beef Satay

    Indonesian beef satay on a white plate.
    Beef satay
    A classic Indonesian dish, beef satay is a favourite with locals and foreigners alike! Try this Went There 8 This recipe to see how good it is!
    Click here for the satay recipe.
    Indonesian beef satay on a white plate.

    Rendang

    Malaysian beef rendang on a white plate.
    Malaysian beef rendang
    A favourite in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, this slow cooked beef by The Rare Welshbit is creamy and bursting with flavour. No wonder it was voted as 1 of the world's best foods! You can make it with young jackfruit if eating a plant-based diet or chicken if minimising red meat.
    Click here for the rendang recipe.
    Malaysian beef rendang on a white plate.

    Rice Paper Salad

    Vietnamese rice paper salad with tamarind sauce
    Rice paper is so versatile, you can use it for this salad, to wrap spring rolls or as a tteokbokki hack (I have a post on this).
    Banh Trang Tron, or Vietnamese rice paper salad
    This Wok And Kin recipe requires a little work as there are so many different components, but like most Vietnamese dishes, is absolutely delicious: fresh and so packed with flavour! It's also a great way to use up rice paper if you want to try something different to Vietnamese spring rolls!
    Click here for Vietnamese salad.
    Vietnamese rice paper salad with tamarind sauce

    Roasted Chicken

    Chicken bites roasted in ghee and tamarind.
    Chicken Roasted in Ghee and Tamarind
    This easy roast chicken by Framed Recipes is a speciality from Mangalore and sounds so delicious, I can't wait to make it!
    Click here for Indian roast chicken.
    Chicken bites roasted in ghee and tamarind.

    Thai Chicken

    Thai Style Spatchcocked Lemongrass Roast Chicken.
    Thai Roast Chicken
    Fragrant, juicy and tender with a bit of charred skin, this That Spicy Chick recipe is a must try, especially over Christmas or Thanksgiving!
    Click here for Thai Roast Chicken.
    Thai Style Spatchcocked Lemongrass Roast Chicken.

    Sauces

    Tamarind Sauce

    A bowl of homemade tamarind sauce with ginger next to it.
    Easy Tamarind Sauce Recipe
    This easy tamarind sauce recipe is a deliciously sweet and sour condiment that can be used as a dipping sauce for samosa chaat or a marinade for meat and fish!
    Click here for the Indian tamarind sauce recipe.
    A wooden spoon scooping Indian tamarind chutney.
    A green tamarind sauce in a glass container.
    Cheesecake factory copycat recipe: tamarind & cashew sauce
    A tamarind dipping sauce by Life Currents Blog, this is served with avocado fries and lettuce wraps a la Cheesecake Factory. It must be a great copycat recipe as it has 4.8 stars!
    Click here for the green sauce recipe.
    A green tamarind sauce in a glass container.
    Close-up of a salad tossed with tamarind sauce.
    Summer salad with tamarind dressing
    For a salad dressing with more details than I provided above, try this 5-star tamarind recipe by Mayuris Jikoni that mixes tamarind, soy sauce and other pantry staples. Great when the weather is hot!
    Click here for the tamarind salad recipe.
    Close-up of a salad tossed with tamarind sauce.
    A bowl of Indonesia slaw.
    Rujak serut (Indonesian slaw)
    This tamarind and sweet potato recipe by So Yummy Recipes is easy, spicy, sweet and a little sour- a cacophony of flavours in one's mouth!
    Click here for an Indonesian salad recipe.
    A bowl of Indonesia slaw.

    Curry

    Assam Fish

    Someone scooping up a bite of simmered fish in coconut milk and jasmine rice.

    A favourite Singaporean dish is assam fish, in which fish is cooked with tamarind and sugar. Although not as common, I like to add coconut milk to make an assam fish curry from time-to-time.

    Assam fish curry with coconut
    An easy and delicious Singaporean fish curry that does not need a laundry list of ingredients.
    Click here for assam fish curry.
    Close-up of a white plate of tamarind fish curry with coconut and rice.

    Kashmiri Curry

    3 bowls of tamarind & fish Indian curry on a table.
    South Asian fish curry with tamarind (Kashmiri Gaadh or Kashir Gaadh)
    A favourite in Kashmir, this flavorful fish curry by Framed Recipes is a must-try for seafood lovers.
    Click here for tamarind fish curry.
    3 bowls of tamarind & fish Indian curry on a table.

    Shrimp Curry

    A close up of a bowl of malabar shrimp stew
    Malabar shrimp curry
    The addition of tamarind makes this malabar shrimp curry by Ministry of Curry spicy yet tart and altogether delicious.
    Click here for tamarind shrimp.
    A bowl of malabar shrimp curry with a plate of lemons and a bowl of yogurt

    Mangalorean Curry

    Red prawn curry in a metal pot.
    Mangolorean prawn tamarind curry
    Also known as Sungata phanna upkari, this is a quick and easy, 6 basic ingredients, spicy prawn curry by The Love of Spice.
    Click here for the prawn curry recipe.
    Red prawn curry in a metal pot.

    Chickpeas

    Close-up of chickkpea and tamarind curry.
    Chana Aloo Tamarind Curry
    This 5-star Pakistani dish by So Yummy Recipes is a great way to use up a can of chickpeas! I plan to make it this weekend actually!
    Click here for Chana Aloo.
    Close-up of chickkpea and tamarind curry.

    Potato Curry

    Chickpea and potato curry in a red container.
    Punjabi Chole Recipe (No Onion or Garlic) (Instant Pot)
    Another potato, chickpea and tamarind curry, but an Indian version this time and made in an Instant Pot! Moreover, this Enhance Your Palate recipe doesn't use onions or garlic, which is great for Buddhist Vegetarians or people with allergies.
    Click here for Punjabi Chole in an Instant Pot.
    Chickpea and potato curry in a red container.

    Vindaloo

    A plate of red chicken curry, or chicken vindaloo
    I always thought Vindaloo was Indian, but apparently its roots are Portugese! Learnt these from the Meera Sodha cookbook
    Chicken Vindaloo Curry Stew
    Chicken Vindaloo is one of my favourite curries, so I was pretty excited to lay my hands on this Whisk Affair recipe! I'd previously cooked a version by a famous British author but alas it came out MUCH too tart for my liking. Acidity gives food an amazing lift, but as with everything, it's all about balance!
    Click here for the tamarind & chicken stew.
    A plate of red chicken curry, or chicken vindaloo

    Vegetarian Curry

    2 pots of vegetable curry next to rice.
    Vegetable bhuna tamarind curry
    This Splash of Taste curry is flavorful but not too spicy, vegetarian and tastes even better the next day.
    Click here for the vegetarian curry.
    2 pots of vegetable curry next to rice.

    Chutneys & Pickles

    Eggplant Chutney

    A bowl of Keralan tamarind pickles in a bowl.
    Eggplant tamarind chutney
    Besides a recipe, Fat Rainbow also includes tips on how to grow your own eggplants!
    Click here for eggplant chutney.
    A bowl of eggplant tamarind chutney and rice
    Coconut and tamarind curry in a black bowl.
    Tamarind, coconut and curry leaves chutney
    This red coconut chutney by The Love of Spice is creamy, delicious and curry leaves- for more ideas on how to use curry leaves, click here.
    Click here for this delicious tamarind chutney.
    Coconut and tamarind curry in a black bowl.
    A bowl of curry leaf tomato chutney and rice
    The chutney is so good you can have it plain with rice!
    Andhra Pachi (Raw Green Tomato Chutney)
    Spicy and tangy, this Fat Rainbow Raw Tomato Chutney is bursting with flavor.
    Click here for the tomato chutney.
    A bowl of curry leaf tomato chutney and rice

    Bittergourd Pickle

    Bittergourd and tamarind pickle in a white bowl.
    Bittergourd Pickle
    This tangy and spicy tamarind pickle by My Cooking Journey, also known as Pavakkai Urukkai and Karela Achaar, is a great way to use up extra bittergourds and goes really well with rice.
    Click here for the tamarind pickle recipe.
    Bittergourd and tamarind pickle in a white bowl.

    Ginger Pickle

    A bowl of Keralan tamarind pickles in a bowl.
    Tamarind & Ginger pickle (Puli Inji)
    This traditional Keralan favourite by Sandhyahariharan is sweet sour and spicy. Best of all it can be kept in the chiller for months!
    Click here for Puli Inji recipe.
    A bowl of Keralan tamarind pickles in a bowl.

    Dessert

    Tamarind ice popsicles on a white cloth.

    For Asian summer recipes, click here.

    Agua de tamarino, or Tamarind Iced Tea Pops
    Super easy and refreshing tamarind popsicles, this Muy Bueyno Cookbook recipe is perfect for summer
    Click here to try this sweet tea on a stick.
    Tamarind ice popsicles on a white cloth.

    Drinks

    An easy recipe is to boil the pulp of this tropical fruit, strain then add sugar- voila, tamarind tea! (I also have other Asian drinks recipes here if you're looking for a beverage.)

    A tamarind mararita with salt on the rim.
    Vietnamese tamarind juice (Da Me)
    This Delightful Plate drink tastes super refreshing in summer- although we have something similar in Singapore, I find the addition of peanuts and coconut very intriguing!
    Click here for a Vietnamese tamarind drink.
    A glass of iced tamarind juice.
    A mug of Mexican Christmas punch made with fruits and tamarind
    What's your fave Christmas drink?
    Ponche Navideno, or a Mexican Christmas punch
    Made with tamarind and other fruits, Ponche Navideno is a sweet and tart Christmas punch that makes for a fun change from the usual mulled wine. Make this Muy Bueno Cookbook recipe for your next Christmas gathering and amaze all your friends!
    Click here for to try this tamarind drink.
    A mug of Mexican Christmas punch made with fruits and tamarind
    A tamarind mararita with salt on the rim.
    Tamarind margarita on the rocks
    A spicy, sweet and sour drink, this Seitan Beats Your Meat recipe is easy to make.
    Click here for a tamarind maragita.
    A tamarind mararita with salt on the rim.

    What is Tamarind?

    Growing up in Singapore, we had so many tamarind recipes so I was rather surprised to learn that this fruit actually a legume that originates from Africa! (Alternative names for tamarind include tamarindo, Indian date and Asam Jawa.)

    Besides being a staple ingredient in many South East Asian recipes- for example, tamarind is a key ingredient in famous dishes such as Pad Thai- it is also found in Indian food and Mexican cuisine. For example, it's sometime used to add acidity to Madras Curry.

    This list of tamarind recipes are mainly not vegan, so if you're on a plant-based diet, click here for vegan tamarind recipes or here for South Asian vegetarian dishes.

    I always say Greedygirlgourmet is about bold flavours and tamarind is a classic example of the type of flavour I love: it's very strong and a little of the sour pulp goes a long way! The flavor is sweet, tangy yet tart, with riper fruits being less sour- it often needs a bit of brown sugar to round up the taste.

    Fun fact: tamarind is actually used to make Worcestershire sauce!

    Health Benefits 

    This tropical fruit has a lot of Vitamin C. However, do note that most tamarind recipes which use unripe tamarind will also call for ample sugar to round up the taste, which isn't the best for one's health or weight!

    Substitutes

    1. As they're both sour, Western recipes sometimes point to lemon juice as a tamarind alternative- they both have a tart flavor after all.
    2. Others say to use Worcestershire sauce, since it includes tamarind.
      • However, as they're not perfect substitutes, I'd say it depends on what you're making- I'm not sure anyone who's eaten authentic Pad Thai would find it acceptable cooked with lemon instead of tamarind!

    How to Make Tamarind Paste

    After opening the fruit, remove as much of the seeds' membranes inside as possible, then soak the remaining pulp in boiling water. Once it is soft (about 15 minutes), sieve the pulp to filter any of the leftover skin, seeds and what-not that you may have missed- you will need to push down hard on the sieve.

    Toss the part left it in sieve, and re-add the water in which the tamarind soaked back to the strained- out mass. You can add more or less water depending on whether your tamarind recipe calls for tamarind paste or water. 

    How to Store 

    Homemade tamarind water or paste should be refrigerated or frozen, if you don't need to use it so soon.

    The more watery your paste it, the shorter the time it can last in the fridge. Thanks to the high acid content, homemade sour tamarind paste can last for up to a few months in the fridge.

    Shop bought tamarind paste can be stored in the pantry till opened (in its unopened state, it has a long shelf life), after which it should be popped into the chiller to help it last longer.

    Where to Buy

    In Asia, tamarind is commonly available in grocery stores but in the West, you may need to check out the local Asian grocery stores or order it online.

    If you've found these tamarind recipes useful, please do leave a comment or share on your social media! Thank you! 🙂

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

    • Vegan summer rolls on a serving plate around peanut sauce.
      13 Thai Basil Recipes
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      11 Asian & Chinese Pumpkin Recipes 2025
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      Chicken Pumpkin Curry Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AntonioVaw says

      December 31, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      While most Nyonya recipes call for long list of ingredients and tedious preparations, tamarind prawn assam prawn is surprisingly easy to make and takes only a few ingredients: tamarind, sugar, and salt.

      Reply
      • Zen says

        January 01, 2022 at 3:53 am

        Hi Antonio, indeed tamarind prawns are easy and delicious! 🙂 Haven't made them a lot lately as trying to cut down my sugar intake, but I just bought a box of prawns today so... 😛 Is it 1 of your fave Nyonya recipes?

        Reply

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    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18! However, I love creating community and nurturing people, so when I lived abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years, I started hosting regular parties for friends, and that's how I started cooking and helping out in professional kitchens. (Couldn't cook before that!) I even organised a supper club for charity (which strangers came to!) Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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