tamarind syrup -- how do you use it?

[alkapal]

i just bought some tamarind syrup at a middle eastern store. what uses would you recommend? thanks.

[luganrn]

It is used to drizzle on top of spring rolls, if it is the kind of syrup already sweetened with palm sugar, salt and Chinese 5 spice. You need the sour-sweet-sallty thing going on but it can be used on various Asian foods.

[pondrat]

Tamarind syrup and chutney are the traditional accompaniments to Samosas, the south Asian savory pastry street food. Available fresh or frozen in most Indian groacry stores.

[gwendolynmarie]

In drinks, cocktails, coffee, smoothies- tamarind, lime juice and tonic, for example, or blended with coconut milk and ice.
In curries, dahls, chutneys, stews, sauces. I often add a tiny bit to a basic tomato sauce, baked beans, caponata, barbecue sauce, mole sauce, and jerk seasoning, for example.
In glazes for porkchops, lambchops, and seafood.
In pickles and jams.
In desserts- drizzled over fresh or poached fruit, over grilled pineapple with chili, over coconut flan, fried bananas or sweet plantains. Guava, papaya, mango, and cantaloupe all beg for tamarind and mint. Used in baked goods, for color and a bit of flavor in dark breads, in pastry fillings, muffins and cakes.
Many South Indian, Thai, and Burmese dishes require tamarind syrup, a google search with give you way more than you need to go on.

[alkapal]

just to clarify, i'm asking about the syrup -- not the paste. the syrup is in a bottle, sort of like those coffee bar "torani" brand bottles of syrups.

[ChiliDude]

Here's a weird suggestion. Many years ago when I was working at a pharmaceutical company, one of the employees from India gave me a simple recipe for a chutney. This chutney is a combination of tamarind paste, onion and fresh garden-grown mint. The 3 ingredients are pureed in a blender. I played the amounts by ear so I can't give precise measurements. The resulting puree is an ugly black, but it has a great flavor and is a great condiment to put on grilled hamburgers.

Buon appetito!

[Joebob]

We had a very tasty dish of clams in tamarind sauce in Pnom Phen.

[maria lorraine]

I use tamarind paste and syrup -- to make my own Coca-Cola, in marinades, in Indonesian peanut sauce, in Sangria, lots of ways.

Good ideas here:
http://www.chow.com/digest/2487
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/384283
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/465790
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/397229

[fallingup]

I use it in Indian food. Certain curries need it. Tamarind rice is my favorite use for it. SO good. Here's an authentic-looking recipe http://south-indian-recipe.blogspot.c...

[sarah galvin]

I made a tamarind sauce for grilled shrimp, it was delicious. It was meant to be a dipping sauce but I brushed it on the shrimp, lavishly, and then grilled them on a charcoal barbecue. Served over grilled swiss chard that had been marinated in coconut milk. Was a hit.

[Rasam]

Can it be used as a base for tamarind based drinks like (Mexican) tamarindo, middle eastern tamarind sherbet, or tamarind margaritas?

[relizabeth]

pad thai
the other night in a chickpea and eggplant curry with some coconut and a pinch of molasses sugar
a smidge drizzled on fish before roasting

[TongoRad]

It provides a great counter balance in coconut based 'curries', like with shrimp, for example. I also like to use it in my channa masala instead of lemon because it has a rounder, fuller tartness.

It also goes well with fruit- one of my favorite dishes is a tamarind glazed smoked duck served with a mango salsa, and the tamarind is in the salsa. I'd imagine it would work well with preserves of any kind to make other glazes for roasted meats. I've probably mentioned this elsewhere, but my secret BBQ sauce is made from tamarind/date chutney with chipotle puree- put it on smoked ribs or chicken.

Just be careful if you have the 'concentrete'- a bit of that stuff goes a long way.

[Leucadian]

Care to post the chutney recipe if it's homemade?

[TongoRad]

The tamarind/date chutney is a prepared item:
http://store.indianfoodsco.com/grocer...
I love that stuff. I also keep tamarind concentrate, pulp and paste in the house, but I use the chutney most of all. Versatile in recipes but also tasty on its own, smeared on a papadum or cracker for example.

[sarah galvin]

I made a nice vinaigrette for tomato salad. It was sweet and sour, nice. Probably in epicurious.

[Peg]

Add a teaspoon to a glass of sparkling water for a refreshing drink.
I use tamarind unsweetened in cooking, so can't advise on more savoury uses.

[scubadoo97]

use it anywhere you want a sweet/sour flavor.

I use it in lachma b’ajeen and a bulgur wheat salad called bazargan. I use it in the liquid for making stuffed grape leaves among other things.

[goodhealthgourmet]

the flavor of tamarind is great for a different spin on citrus - you get the tartness with a hint of sweet, but it's more floral than basic lemon or lime juice.

i use the paste in a sweet/sour/spicy curry sauce i sometimes throw together.

you can also use it as part of a glaze for pork, chicken or fish.