Tamarind Dipping Sauce
This tamarind dipping sauce is sweet, sour, and subtly infused with Indian spices such as cumin seeds, ginger, chili, and garam masala. It's the ultimate dipping sauce for samosas, pakora, egg rolls, or fries!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup seedless tamarind paste
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 4.5 ounces rock sugar
- 2 ounces granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp kala namak salt
- 1/2 tsp tsp salt
- 1 tsp cornstarch diluted in 1 teaspoon of water
Instructions
Soak the tamarind
- Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil.
- Add the tamarind pulp to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to mash the tamarind into small pieces. Let the tamarind sit for about 30 minutes or until it has softened.
Blend it
- Blend with the water. Transfer the tamarind and the water to a high-speed blender and blend on high for 15-20 seconds or until smooth.
- Strain it. While this step is optional, I highly recommend straining the blended tamarind for a smoother, less fibrous sauce. Just know that strained or not, the sauce is equally delicious! Set the tamarind juice aside.
Cook
- Sauté the cumin seeds. Heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the tamarind juice. Next, add the tamarind juice, rock sugar, granulated sugar, spices, and salt.
- Simmer the sauce. Simmer the sauce for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves.
- Thicken. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch. Pour it into the sauce and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickens.
- Let cool. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it cool for about 2 hours before serving. The sauce will thicken a bit more as it cools down.
- You can keep this tamarind sauce for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Adjust the consistency to your liking. This sauce is on the thinner side, so if you prefer a thicker consistency, you can triple the amount of cornstarch.
- Play with the sweetness and sourness. While I believe we nailed this recipe's sweetness and sourness balance, it's obviously subjective and depends on each person's taste. If you prefer a more sour sauce, increase the amount of tamarind. Conversely, if you want it less sour, use less tamarind and reduce the sugar content as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 tbsp | Calories: 42 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.2 g | Fat: 0.6 g | Saturated Fat: 0.1 g | Sodium: 75 mg | Fiber: 0.2 g | Sugar: 7.7 g