Anyone know how to make a tamarind sauce?

[Skidmore]

I had a sauce today in a Chinese restaraunt that the waitress told me was made from tamarinds. It was definitely soy based, very dark, had garlic in it for sure, and I'm not certain what else. It was tangy and spicy and the bits in it kinda tastes like some kind of bean. I could be wrong on the last point. Her English wasn't good enough to tell me all the ingredients, but I definitely did get the tamarind. I'd like to learn how to make that sauce. I bought some from the restaraunt so I could try it out as a BBQ marinade/baste for chicken or shrimp.

[mike_c]

1. I dunno-- tamarind is used in lots of sauces...

...but usually only to add a nice sour taste, and it only takes a small amount of concentrate to do it (I buy liquid tamarind concentrate rather than make my own tamarind liquid from the paste).

Here's an Indian tamarind sauce recipe, but that's not what you're looking for:

http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/23575/

Here's a Thai version:

http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Fried_Fish_with_Tamarind_Sauce.htm

A Khmer sauce:

http://www.khmerkromrecipes.com/recipes/recipe51.html


Here's another Thai recipe that uses chili-tamarind paste:

http://www.lankalinksystems.com/cgi-bin/recipes/oriental/book.cgi?Display=3

Chicken with Red chili and Cashews (Kai Phat Met m

Country of the Food: Thailand | Email to Author Posted on 21 April 2003 @ 15:12:34

Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying
10 small dried Japanese chilies
12 cloves garlic, pounded to a mash or crushed and chopped
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
4 scallions, including the green tops, angle-cut into 2-inch pieces, bulbs cut in half lengthwise.
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons chili-tamarind paste (nam phrik pao)
1/4 cup chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup whole roasted cashews
Sprigs of cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients except the hot sauce within easy reach of the cooking area..

Set a wok over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the oil. Rotate the wok a bit so the oil coats the sides. When the oil is hot, add the chilies and stir-fry briefly, just until they deepen in color. Remove the chilies with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add the garlic and stir-fry briefly, just until golden and aromatic. Add the chicken, raise the heat to high, and stir-fry just until the chicken begins to lose its raw color and turn opaque, about 1 minute. Add the scallions and onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chili-tamarind paste, chicken stock, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the fried chilies and cashews and stir-fry just until the scallions and onion are tender and cooked through, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a serving platter. Tear sprigs of cilantro over the dish if desired, and serve with plenty of steamed jasmine rice (khao hom mali).

Maybe you had a sauce with hot bean paste and tamarind added for tang?