Ingredients
1 inch cube tamarind paste, seedless (about 4 teaspoons)
4 tbsp. hot water, divided
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon), optional
1 Thai Bird’s Eye Chili, optional
Preparation
Step 1In a small bowl, combine tamarind paste and 2 tablespoons hot water (the hotter, the better). Stir with a fork to break up tamarind paste and let stand for 15 minutes to soften further. Step 2Working in batches, use the back of a large spoon to press tamarind mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Don’t forget to scrape the tamarind purée at the bottom of your strainer into bowl as well! You should have about 1 tablespoon of tamarind purée and consistency should be similar to Sriracha. Discard solids that remain in strainer.Step 3Add fish sauce, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons hot water. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Sauce should be a drizzling consistency. Step 4Add garlic and chilies, if using. Taste and adjust to your liking. Step 5Set aside at room temperature to let flavors bloom. Sauce can be prepared hours ahead of time. Serve in individual dipping sauce containers.
You can find blocks of reddish-brown tamarind paste at your local Asian, Latin, or Middle Eastern grocery store. Notes: • Buy the tamarind that comes in 5 inch slabs, not the canned or fresh kind. They can be stored in a cupboard for up to 6 months. •If making a large batch, boiling water and tamarind paste over the stove will speed up the softening process. •Sugar can be substituted with honey at a 1:2 ratio. The resulting sauce will be slightly runnier. •Thai bird’s eye chili can be substituted with chile de árbol. Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
