Tamarind Sauce is a sweet, tangy and authentic Indian dip or condiment loaded with fresh flavors of ginger and cumin. This sauce is usually made with dried seedless tamarind, jaggery, and basic Indian spices. The recipe I have shared here shows how to make Tamarind Sauce with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process simple and clear. This Tamarind Sauce is a perfect dip to enjoy most Indian street foods like samosa or other similar snacks. And it can be also a flavor-enhancing condiment in veg curries and non-veg curries that calls for it.
Jump to:
What is Tamarind Sauce?
Tamarind Sauce is a sweet, tangy, and authentic Indian dip or condiment. It is usually made with fresh or dried tamarind, jaggery, ginger powder, and cumin seeds. The jaggery added in the recipe gives the sweetness, while the ginger and cumin give the fresh flavor and taste.
This Sauce is widely used in Indian cuisine as a dip for street foods like samosa, Samosa Chaat, Aloo chaat, and there it is called Tamarind Chutney. Not only as a dip but also as a condiment in veg curries like vatha kuzhambu, sambar, and non veg curries like fish curry, lamb vindaloo, chicken ghee roast, etc.
The best part is this Tamarind Sauce can be stored for months to enjoy a delicious snack or to use in your recipes. So without further delay let's see how to make it.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Tamarind Sauce are simple and it should be easily available in most Indian groceries around.
- Tamarind - I have used dried seedless tamarind here, you can also use seed in tamarind if thats handy for you
- Jaggery - Jaggery Powder delivers the sweetness and stickiness to sauce
- Ginger Powder - Gives heat to the sauce and good for easy digestion. I have also added chili flakes to increase the spice level which is an optional ingredient
- Cumin Seeds - Delivers the fresh aroma to your sauce and also good for digestion
- Oil - To temper the sauce and you could use cooking oil of your preference
How to make Tamarind Sauce?
The recipe I have shared here is the authentic Indian-style Tamarind Sauce. It is widely used as a dip or condiment in most Indian street foods, snacks, curries, and much more.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photo and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Boil the Tamarind - In a pan with medium heat, add tamarind, and pour water. Give a good mix and allow it to boil until tamarind turns soft
- Mash the Tamarind - Now using a food masher, mash the tamarind until it turns smooth and pulpy. And allow to cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat
- Sieve the Tamarind Mixture - Now using a fine mesh strainer or seiver, filter the cooked tamarind water mixture into a bowl. Now the tamarind liquid is ready to make sauce. Do not discard the tamarind concentrate, you can store it in the refrigerator to use in most Indian recipes that calls for tamarind concentrate
- Make the sauce - In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and sizzle cumin seeds. Pour in the Tamarind liquid and mix well. Add in the ginger powder, jaggery powder and give a good mix
- Check the consistency - Allow the mixture to boil until it turns sticky and thick. You can also add chili flakes at this stage which is optional to use. I have added it here to give some mild spiciness to the sauce
- Remove and Serve or Store - Now remove the Tamarind Sauce or chutney from the heat and it is ready for you to taste and enjoy. You can also store it in the refrigerator in an air tight container for future use
Tips
- Tamarind Preference - I have used dried seedless tamarind here, but you can also use tamarind concentrate. If you are using tamarind concentrate dilute them with water and then season them with jaggery and other ingredients to make sticky and thick sauce
- Sweetness - The authentic Indian Tamarind Sauce calls for jaggery powder, so I recommend the same to achieve great results
- Heat Level - The sauce I have showed here is for multipurpose use which can be enjoyed as a dip and condiment. So I have not added chat masala, chili powder and amchur powder that is usually added for dipping sauce
- Left Over Tamarind Concentrate - You can also store the left over tamarind concentrate or pulp in the refrigerator for making rasam, sambar, tomato chutney, and curries that calls for it
Storage Suggestions
This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 months. And enjoy a delicious dip for your snacks or use it in your recipes that call for tamarind sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This Tamarind Sauce can be used as a dip for snacks like samosa, vadas, and other Indian street foods. Not only as a dip but also as a condiment in recipes like sambar, rasam, and similar others.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar Sauce Recipes below and more at Dips & Condiments
- Tamarind Paste
- Mango Chutney
- Samosa Dipping Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Szechuan Sauce
- Kung Pao Sauce
- Orange Sauce
- General Tso's Sauce
- Garlic Butter Sauce
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Pasta Sauce
- Garlic Butter
Recipes with Tamarind Sauce:
Tamarind Sauce Recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Tamarind Sauce Recipe below that I hope will help you to make authentic sauce from scratch. And you could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Tamarind Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ lb Tamarind, seedless
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tsp Oil
- ½ cup Jaggery Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Ginger Powder
- ½ tsp Chili Flakes, optional
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
To make Tamarind Sauce
- In a pan with medium heat, add seedless tamarind, water and give a good mix
- Allow the tamarind mixture to boil until it turns soft
- Now using a food masher, mash the tamarind until it turns mushy and then cook for 2 more minutes
- Remove the tamarind mixture from heat and filter it using a strainer into a bowl. And reserve the tamarind liquid for later use. Do not discard the leftover tamarind pulp, check out the recipe notes for recipe ideas
- Now in a pan with medium heat, pour oil and sizzle cumin seeds
- Pour in the reserved tamarind liquid, ginger powder, salt, jaggery powder, and give a good mix
- Boil the tamarind jaggery mixture for 3 to 5 minutes. You can also add chili flakes at this stage which is optional
- Simmer the heat and cook the Tamarind Sauce until it turns thick and sticky. Remove it from heat and now it is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this sweet and tangy Tamarind Sauce as a dip for Samosa, Aloo Chaat, or other similar Indian street foods. You can also use it as a condiment in sambar, rasam, and similar other Indian recipes
Video
Notes
- Tamarind Preference - I have used dried seedless tamarind here, but you can also use tamarind concentrate. If you are using tamarind concentrate dilute them with water and then season them with jaggery and other ingredients to make a sticky and thick sauce
- Sweetness - The authentic Indian Tamarind Sauce calls for jaggery powder, so I recommend the same to achieve great results
- Heat Level - The sauce I have shown here is for multipurpose use which can be enjoyed as a dip and condiment. So I have not added chat masala, chili powder, and amchur powder that is usually added for dipping sauce
- Left Over Tamarind Concentrate - You can also store the leftover tamarind concentrate or pulp in the refrigerator for making rasam, sambar, chutney, and curries that call for it
Nutrition
FAQ
Tamarind Sauce is a sweet, sour, and mildly spiced dip or condiment authentic to Indian cuisine. It is usually made with fresh or dried tamarind, jaggery, and other basic Indian spices. The sauce is usually served as a dip along with samosa, chaats, and other Indian street foods. And also it is used as condiments in sambar, curries, and chutneys.
It tastes sweet, tangy, and mild spiced with fresh flavors of ginger and cumin seeds.
The Tamarind Sauce I have shared above is a multipurpose sauce that can be used in recipes like sambar, rasam, chutneys, curries, and other Indian Recipes that call for tamarind concentrate or sauce. And you can also use it as a dipping sauce for snacks and street foods.
You can savor the tamarind sauce with Samosa, Aloo Chaat, Papdi Chaat, and other similar Indian Street foods. And you can also use it in curries, gravies, and other side dishes to achieve a tangy flavor and taste.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Alyssa Johnson
Hello! I'm very excited to try this sauce recipe for my homemade samosas! I cannot find the tamarind seeds where I live but Whole Foods has a 12 oz jar of tamarind "puree". Is that the same thing as tamarind concentrate? If so, how much of the 12 oz would I use for this recipe?
Thank you!
Sangeetha Vel
Hi Alyssa,
Thanks for checking. You can always find the tamarind in Indian grocery stores if have anything nearby. Concentrate is thick and puree is usually little diluted. So, per my understanding you can use 5 oz of puree with 3-4 oz water to replace the tamarind here. But just to sure, I haven't personally used puree to try this recipe but it is a good measurement to start with. If you go with puree, you can start the process from step 5 mentioned in the recipe card above. And I will be happy to hear how it turns out for you 🙂
Alyssa Johnson
Great! Thank you for the help!