What to use instead of tamarind
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Sour backbone in a curry, soup or stew
It brings a rounded fruit acidity that holds through a long simmer, plus sugar and a little pulp body, which is why sinigang tastes sour and full rather than sour and thin.
Tamarind concentrate from a jarRan out
1 tsp concentrate per 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
Three times stronger and much darker, and some brands are salted, so taste before it goes near the salt or fish sauce.
Lime juice with brown sugarRan out
2 tbsp lime juice + 1 tsp brown sugar per 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Brighter and sharper at the front, and it fades during a long simmer, so it goes in during the last five minutes rather than at the start.
Amchur, dried mango powderRan out
1 tsp per 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Fruity-sour and completely dry, so it adds no colour and no body. Stir it in at the end or it tastes dusty.
Kokum petalsRan out
3 dried petals soaked in 1/4 cup hot water per 1 tbsp tamarind paste
More astringent and less sweet, with a purple tint through the gravy. This is the coastal Indian answer, so it tastes correct in a fish curry.
Pomegranate molassesRan out
1:1 by volume
Sweeter and thicker with a deeper red colour, so a curry made with it reads richer and slightly jammy.
What doesn't work: White vinegar. It is a single sharp acid with no fruit or sugar behind it, and it turns harsh as it reduces, so the curry ends up sour at the front and hollow underneath.
Sour-sweet base for a glaze, chutney or dipping sauce
It is thick enough to cling to fried food and its sugars caramelise under heat, so it coats and glosses instead of running off.
Tamarind concentrate let down with waterRan out
1 tsp concentrate + 1 tbsp water per 1 tbsp pulp
Smoother and darker with no fibres or seeds to strain out, and it sets slightly stickier on the food.
Pomegranate molassesRan out
1:1 by volume
Thicker, sweeter and deeper red, and it clings even better. Less of the raisin-like note tamarind carries.
Date paste with lemon juiceRan out
1 tbsp date paste + 2 tsp lemon juice per 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Sweeter and thicker, so cut the sugar in the recipe. This is the standard pairing in a doubles chutney anyway.
Worcestershire sauceRan out
1:1 by volume
It already contains tamarind, along with anchovy and a lot of salt, so pull the fish sauce and salt right back. Savoury rather than fruity.
What doesn't work: Ketchup thinned with vinegar. It has the body and the sweet-sour balance, and the tomato takes over completely, so a doubles chutney or a satay sauce ends up tasting of barbecue glaze.
A block of wet tamarind gives roughly 3/4 cup of strained paste per 200 g block after soaking in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes.