Top 10 Delicious Tamarind Sauce Dishes to Enjoy This Weekend

Ingredients:

• 500g of pork ribs (soft ribs)
• 50g of sour tamarind
• 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, chili
• Seasonings: Sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, chili sauce, fish sauce, butter, cooking oil

Instructions:

• Wash the pork ribs thoroughly, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside to drain. Fry the ribs until golden brown, then remove and place them on a plate.
• Peel and mince the garlic and shallots. Slice the chili. You can buy packaged tamarind at the supermarket, or if you have fresh tamarind, peel it, remove the pulp, and soak it in 2 tablespoons of hot water for 10-15 minutes. Mash the tamarind to extract the juice, then strain it through a sieve to remove any solids and seeds.
• In a pan, sauté the garlic and shallots until fragrant, then set them aside. Use the remaining oil to fry the ribs until crispy and golden, then remove them to drain the oil.
• In a new pan, add butter and sauté the garlic and shallots. Then add the tamarind juice, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1/3 teaspoon of pepper. Stir well and adjust the seasoning to taste (balance sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors).
• Finally, when the sauce begins to thicken, add the ribs and toss them to coat in the sauce. Turn off the heat and plate the tamarind spare ribs. Garnish with the sautéed garlic and shallots. Serve with hot rice or enjoy as a snack with drinks.

Ingredients:

• Sea snails: 1kg (you can substitute with other types of snails like turban snails, or escargot...)
• Tamarind: 1 large pod (or 2 small ones)
• Lemongrass: 1 stalk, Ginger: 1 large piece
• Garlic: 1 bulb
• Vegetable butter: 2 tablespoons
• Potato starch: 1 teaspoon
• Chili powder: 1 tablespoon
• Sugar: 1 tablespoon
• Seasoning powder: 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaves: a few leaves

Instructions:

• Soak the sea snails in a bowl of rice water for about half a day to remove dirt and slime. Afterward, wash them thoroughly under running water until the shells are completely clean and set them aside to drain.
• Peel and finely chop the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic.
• Boil the tamarind until soft, peel off the outer shell, then mash it with enough water (about half a rice bowl) and strain it through a sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
• Heat the butter in a pan, and sauté the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic until fragrant.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder into the tamarind water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and seasoning powder, then pour the mixture into the pan and bring to a boil.
• Add the snails to the boiling tamarind mixture and stir continuously until the snails are evenly cooked and well-coated in the seasoning. Once the snail shells start shedding, pour in the prepared potato starch slurry (mix 1 teaspoon of starch with half a rice bowl of water) and stir for another 2-3 minutes to let the flavor soak into the snails.

Ingredients:

• Clams: 800g
• Tamarind concentrate
• Roasted peanuts, crushed
• Minced garlic
• Rau ram leaves
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil, chili sauce (fresh sliced chili)

Instructions:

• Clams often have a lot of sand, so it's important to clean them thoroughly. One of the simplest methods is to soak them in rice water for 1-2 hours and then wash them clean, letting them drain.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan. Once hot, add minced garlic to sauté, then pour in 6 tablespoons of tamarind water, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of chili sauce. If you like it spicy, add sliced fresh chili. Add 1 cup of water, then toss in the clams and cover the pan.
• Stir occasionally until the clams open their shells, indicating they're cooked. Serve the clams on a plate, sprinkling roasted peanuts and rau ram leaves on top before enjoying.

Ingredients:

• Pork belly: 0.5kg
• Ripe tamarind: 40g
• Fresh coconut water: 1 cup
• Minced garlic, minced shallots
• Fresh chili: 4-5 pieces
• Chopped spring onions
• Chili sauce
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate, sugar, annatto oil

Instructions:

• Step 1 (prepare ingredients): Clean the pork belly, cut into bite-sized pieces, and marinate with pepper, fish sauce, sugar, and chili for about 30 minutes. Soak the tamarind in warm water, then strain 1 tablespoon of tamarind juice to use for the pork belly sauce.
• Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté minced garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add the pork belly pieces and stir-fry until browned. Next, add 3 crushed fresh chilies and transfer the pork to a pressure cooker or clay pot. Pour in coconut water and tamarind juice, simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Finally, drizzle in annatto oil and stir well to complete the pork belly in tamarind sauce.

Ingredients:

• Fresh squid (tube): 400g
• 1 tamarind pod
• Fresh ginger, chili, garlic
• Seasonings: fish sauce, salt, ground pepper, sugar, white wine, cooking oil, seasoning powder

Instructions:

• Preparation: Peel the tamarind, then soak it in hot water for about 15 minutes until it softens. Afterward, mash the tamarind with a little water and strain it to get about two-thirds of a bowl of tamarind juice. Peel and finely chop half the ginger, then slice the other half into thin strips. Clean the squid by removing the purple membrane and wash thoroughly. Rub the chopped ginger on the squid to enhance its fragrance and make the dish more flavorful. Cut the squid into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 1: Put the squid pieces in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and half of the tamarind juice. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to absorb the flavors. This step helps make the tamarind squid dish more tangy and flavorful.
• Step 2: After marinating, remove the squid from the fridge to warm it up. Heat cooking oil in a pan, then add the minced garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant. Add the marinated squid and stir-fry with the garlic.
• Step 3: After frying the squid for about 5 minutes, add the remaining tamarind juice, a little fish sauce, and sugar. Season to taste. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the squid absorbs the flavors. Finally, add the sliced ginger and chili, then stir well for a few turns before turning off the heat. If you like spicy food, feel free to adjust the amount of chili added. Serve the tamarind squid on a plate and enjoy this tangy and spicy dish with your family!

Ingredients:

• 500g of freshwater shrimp (can be substituted with white shrimp, mud shrimp, etc.)
• 40g minced garlic
• 20g butter
• Tomato paste with shrimp flavor
• 60g tamarind
• Seasonings: Cooking oil, salt, sugar, fish sauce, seasoning powder
  

Instructions:

• Heat a pan, add cooking oil, and fry the shrimp until they turn golden brown.
• Remove the shrimp and place them on a separate plate.
• Pour out some of the oil from the frying pan, add minced onion and garlic to fry until fragrant, then add tamarind sauce and shrimp, stir well, and simmer until the tamarind sauce thickens. Add chopped green onions for flavor.
• Stir everything well, and the tamarind shrimp dish is ready to serve.
  

For the best flavor, choose fresh, firm shrimp. Ensure the shrimp's body and head are intact, not bruised, with firmly attached legs that are not discolored.

Ingredients:

• Clean the chicken thighs and use a skewer or sharp object to prick them evenly. Then, season with seasoning powder and salt, mix well, and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Pour boiling water over tamarind, mash it to extract the pulp, then strain it through a sieve to obtain tamarind juice.
• Finely chop garlic and toast sesame seeds until golden brown.

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken thighs until both sides are golden brown. Remove them and set aside.
• Fry the garlic until fragrant, then add tamarind juice, sugar, sesame oil, and water. Let it simmer over low heat until it boils.
• Add chili powder and stir well. Add the chicken thighs and turn them so they are coated evenly in the sauce. Stir the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
• Garnish with lettuce or Vietnamese coriander, and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top for extra appeal.
• Tamarind sauce chicken thighs can be enjoyed with hot rice or used for dipping with bread, offering a crispy outer layer and tender, flavorful meat infused with the tangy tamarind sauce.

Ingredients:

• 300g beef
• 1/2 onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper, mixed in a bowl
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Chopped green onions; sliced chili peppers
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch, mixed with 3 tablespoons water

Instructions:

• Clean the beef, slice it thinly, then blanch in boiling water. Remove, drain, and marinate with oyster sauce and soy sauce.
• Heat a pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and fry the garlic until fragrant. Then, add the tamarind sauce and simmer on low heat. Season to taste.
• After the tamarind sauce has simmered for 5-7 minutes, add the cornstarch mixture and stir until well combined. Finally, add the beef, green onions, and chili, stir-fry quickly, and turn off the heat.
• Plate the tamarind beef and serve!

Ingredients:

• 20 quail eggs
• 50g ripe tamarind
• 100g pork fat
• 1 cucumber (or substitute with lettuce if preferred)
• 100g Vietnamese coriander (Rau Ram)
• 5 chili peppers
• 50g garlic
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour

Preparation:

• Preparing the ingredients:
  • Pork fat: Wash and drain, cut into bite-sized pieces. Fry until crispy and golden, then drain and set aside the crispy pork fat.
  • Quail eggs: Boil the quail eggs, adding a pinch of salt to make peeling easier. Once boiled, soak them in cold water, peel, and set aside. Use the pork fat rendered from the previous step to fry the eggs. Fry over medium heat to ensure they are crispy and golden. Avoid using high heat as the eggs will burn quickly, and low heat will cause them to absorb too much fat without achieving a golden color.
  • Ripe tamarind: Soak in warm water, then squeeze and strain out the pulp, discarding the seeds. In the tamarind juice, add 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon MSG, ½ tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon tapioca starch. Mix well until smooth.
  • Vietnamese coriander: Remove the roots and damaged leaves, wash, and drain. Cut half into small pieces and leave the rest whole.
  • Cucumber: Wash thoroughly, cut off the ends, and slice thinly. For extra crunch, chill the cucumber in the refrigerator before serving.
  • Chili peppers: Remove the stems, wash, and slice.
  • Garlic: Peel, crush, and finely chop.

• Making the Tamarind Quail Eggs: Sauté the garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil until fragrant. Add half of the sliced chili and some chili powder for color. Next, add the prepared tamarind sauce and simmer on low heat. When the sauce thickens and turns a dark amber color, adjust the seasoning to taste. Add the fried quail eggs and stir for 3-5 minutes to coat the eggs in the tamarind sauce. Once coated, remove from heat and plate the dish. Garnish with chopped Vietnamese coriander, chili slices, and a sprinkle of ground pepper to enhance its visual appeal. Serve the remaining Vietnamese coriander and cucumber on a separate plate as a refreshing side. For extra flavor, you can serve with a salt and pepper lime dip.

Ingredients:

• 300g fresh mackerel
• 1 tablespoon dried tamarind
• 1/4 onion
• Sugar, garlic, shallots, pepper, and chili (optional, for spice)

Instructions:

• Slice the mackerel into medium-sized pieces and marinate with seasonings for about 30 minutes, then fry until both sides are golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
• Soak the dried tamarind in hot water, then mash it to extract the juice, discarding the seeds.
• In the same pan used to fry the fish, remove excess oil, add garlic and shallots, and sauté until golden. Set these aside with the fried fish.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, pour in the tamarind juice, season with fish sauce, spices, and sugar, then bring to a boil. Add the onion and continue to simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Once the sauce thickens, add the fish back into the pan. Simmer gently, occasionally flipping the fish to ensure even coating. When the sauce becomes thick and glossy, sprinkle pepper and chopped chili (if desired). Plate the fish, pour the tamarind sauce over, and garnish with the sautéed garlic and shallots. Serve hot with rice.