Please: A substitute for tamarind paste.
11 Comments
alextillotsonMay 22, 2012
Quince paste would also work. Whole Foods carries it in the Specialty Department.
BoulderGalinTokyoMay 23, 2012
Is quince paste just boiled quince, or more like a jelly Sweetened? Thank you.
PanfusineJuly 25, 2011
Totally agree with nogaga. Keelers lime marmalade comes to mind,
nogagaJuly 25, 2011
Tamarind paste has a strong fruity body, so in desperate times, if Panfusine's advice for pomegranate molasses is also an impossibility, I'd go for a very high quality lemon marmalade, or mango chutney, or any other sweet-tart fruity mix. They won't have the same depth as the tamarind, but they will do the trick.
vegheadJuly 25, 2011
mix some fresh lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and a dash of ketchup (I don't have measurements - I do everything by taste)
BusDriverJuly 23, 2011
This may not be feasible if you're having trouble finding tamarind paste, but I've used tamarind concentrate before. As the name implies, it's concentrated, so I use 50% of the amount of tamarind paste the recipe requires and dilute it in equal parts water.
And, in an admission I'd only be willing to admit under my trusty pseudonym, I have used this trick before: 1 part lime juice: 1 part water: 25% dark brown sugar (example 1/4 lime juice, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar). This trick basically mimics the tangy/sweet flavor for the tamarind. If you're using it to make pad thai for your foreign exchange student from thailand, they will know you cheated. If you're making it for your brother-in-law from Iowa who thinks pad thai is one of the most awesome dishes at the Chinese restaurant, then you're good. It by no means hits the nail on the head, but it'll get you through in a pinch.
And, in an admission I'd only be willing to admit under my trusty pseudonym, I have used this trick before: 1 part lime juice: 1 part water: 25% dark brown sugar (example 1/4 lime juice, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar). This trick basically mimics the tangy/sweet flavor for the tamarind. If you're using it to make pad thai for your foreign exchange student from thailand, they will know you cheated. If you're making it for your brother-in-law from Iowa who thinks pad thai is one of the most awesome dishes at the Chinese restaurant, then you're good. It by no means hits the nail on the head, but it'll get you through in a pinch.
AntoniaJamesMay 23, 2012
You could also put a touch of molasses in, if you don't have brown sugar . . . . . with perhaps a date or two, soaked in the lime juice/water and then crushed with a fork, for sweetness. (I have a date and tamarind chutney that I bought at an Indian grocer of which I'm quite fond. The date adds a whole new dimension.) ;o)
Wzrd1February 4, 2025
The molasses would help tremendously. Dates in lime juice would also help.
Still, can't really replace tamarind paste and it's trivially available these days in Caribbean stores, Indian stores, Middle Eastern stores galore. Got a half block of paste right here, made the other half as tamarind juice because I'm a cheap SOB and didn't want to splurge when letting the paste soak overnight could do the job and give me much valued fiber in my juice as well.
Did oversweeten it by accident, much to my annoyance though, it was a decade since I made it from scratch...
Accidentally grew a tamarind tree once. A spat seed took root in the AC condensation line's drainage area when I was deployed to Qatar. Left it to grow. Got a foot tall before I redeployed home, hope it survived long enough to give some happy soul some fruit!
I am chuckling though, have to move soon and I'll be trading my Caribbean stores for some Pakistani stores, so I'll end up with a bit wider assortment of spices and well, much the same meats.
Which is good, as I love goat meat in my marinara sauce that I make in 4 gallon batches that I can in quart jars.
Still, can't really replace tamarind paste and it's trivially available these days in Caribbean stores, Indian stores, Middle Eastern stores galore. Got a half block of paste right here, made the other half as tamarind juice because I'm a cheap SOB and didn't want to splurge when letting the paste soak overnight could do the job and give me much valued fiber in my juice as well.
Did oversweeten it by accident, much to my annoyance though, it was a decade since I made it from scratch...
Accidentally grew a tamarind tree once. A spat seed took root in the AC condensation line's drainage area when I was deployed to Qatar. Left it to grow. Got a foot tall before I redeployed home, hope it survived long enough to give some happy soul some fruit!
I am chuckling though, have to move soon and I'll be trading my Caribbean stores for some Pakistani stores, so I'll end up with a bit wider assortment of spices and well, much the same meats.
Which is good, as I love goat meat in my marinara sauce that I make in 4 gallon batches that I can in quart jars.
PanfusineJuly 23, 2011
pomegranate molasses.. (you should get it at any middle eastern grocery store) or simply boil down a bottle of pomegranate juice (with no additives) till it thickens, 1 liter of juice yields about 1/3rd to 1/2 a cup (less if you really thicken it)
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