This option may also seem unconventional, but the truth is, many fruit jams contain similar flavors to tamarind. See More: Apple Cider Vinegar Replacements #6. Be careful not to overpower the rest of the ingredients though, and adjust for extra liquids. To counterbalance for the tartness, you can consider adding a pinch of brown sugar. You can find apple cider vinegar anywhere these days, but try your local supermarket or organic store.Īdd apple cider vinegar when you prepare sambar, curry, chutney, and any other sauces. Use about half the amount that the recipe indicates because this vinegar is more tart than tamarind paste. While this isn’t an ideal option, when you don’t have any more ingredients handy, apple cider can be a good choice. You can even mix one tablespoon of mango powder with one tablespoon of water to get a paste and use it in sambar, chutney, sauces, and more. Remember that this is a powder, so you need to compensate for the lack of liquid, either by adding water or fruit juice. To get the same amount of flavor, you will need to add at least double the amount of mango powder. You may not have seen amchoor before, and the best place to search for it would be an Indian food store. Usually, this powder comes from dried unripe mangoes that are ground into a fine texture. This option is simply mango powder and it tastes similar to tamarind paste. You can find limes and brown sugar in any grocery or convenience store, but in a pinch, you can use bottled lime juice and white sugar as well.įor Sambar, Chutney, and Sauces #4. Use this mix of lime juice and brown sugar when you cook curries, pad thai, noodles, and sinigang. You should also consider adding a bit of water to dilute the sugar as well.

Mixing lime juice and brown sugar can seem simple, but it works well if you need to imitate the sweetness and tartness of tamarind.įor every one tablespoon of tamarind paste, use one tablespoon of lime juice and ½ tablespoon of brown sugar. Keep in mind too, that this choice is dark red or purple in color, so it may change the aspect of your meal. Use the same amount as you would tamarind paste, but consider adding a bit of lemon juice for extra tartness. You can find pomegranate molasses in most Middle Eastern food stores and some organic markets. Pomegranate molasses is tart, sweet, and a bit bitter, but it can mimic tamarind when cooking things like pad thai, curries, stews, and sinigang. This choice is very common in Middle Eastern, African, and Mediterranean dishes.

You can use this mixture when cooking pad thai, curries, sinigang, and more. We suggest you use brown sugar, but in a pinch, white sugar works too. If you want, add water to dilute everything. You can mix three tablespoons of lemon juice, three tablespoons of Worcestershire, and two tablespoons of sugar. The lemon juice adds the sour taste, sugar for the sweet taste, and the Worcestershire sauce mixes tart, bitter, and umami. This mix of flavors may seem weird, but using lemon juice, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce together can create a similar flavor to tamarind. Lemon Juice + Sugar + Worcestershire Sauce If you can’t find this ingredient or you need another option, try these tamarind substitutes that add great flavor to any of your recipes:įor Pad Thai, Curry, and Sinigang #1. You will also notice a few smoky and caramel-like flavors, but these vary depending on the manufacturer.

Tamarind tastes very sour unless the brand you get has added sugar. If this is the case, you will need to make a syrup with sugar and water. However, some recipes use tamarind to make candy, desserts, or beverages. Traditionally, tamarind comes as either pulp or a paste, and all that you need to do to use it is add it directly to your dish as you cook. Many cuisines across the globe use this paste, including Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Latin American, and the Caribbean. This pulp is what you may know as tamarind paste and what is part of many dishes around the world. This tree is originally from Africa and produces a sweet and sour pulp in a pod-like fruit. No matter which one your recipe indicates, if you have no tamarind at home, it is time to find other options to substitute for tamarind pulp, sauce, paste and tamarind fruit. Some brands come from India, while others come from South America, and this can cause the flavor to be very different. You can use many substitutes to create a similar flavor and feel without the worry of damaging your dish.īefore we begin, though, keep in mind that tamarind paste isn’t the same across the board. This food is a staple across the world, but it can be relatively hard to find for those living in certain areas.

Replacement for tamarind paste