27 tamarind recipes

Kukul mas is the classic Sri Lankan chicken curry. Chicken rubbed with tamarind, cardamom, and curry powder simmers in thick coconut milk with lemongrass and fenugreek until fall-off-the-bone tender.

Authentic Pad Thai with chicken, shrimp, fried tofu, rice noodles, and tamarind-fish sauce dressing. Topped with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro.

Considered the national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak is a breakfast staple in Singapore hawker centres, but is also recognised as one of the least healthy breakfast options - no surprise since lemak means 'fatty' and refers to the rich white rice cooked in coconut cream. When served with fried chicken, the dish really does pack a calorific punch. However, with a few tweaks and substitutions it is possible to create a healthier version of the dish to enjoy on weekends at home with family.

An easy homemade pad Thai that skips hard-to-find tamarind, leaning on fish sauce, vinegar, and paprika for that sweet-sour-salty tang. Chewy rice noodles tossed with tofu, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts.

Lobio tkemali, a Georgian red bean dish dressed cold in a tangy sauce of prunes, tamarind, and balsamic, spiked with coriander, fenugreek, and chili. A vegan Caucasian bean salad bright with cilantro.

Pulikacchal: the tangy-sweet South Indian tamarind paste for puliyodharai rice. Mustard seeds, chilies, jaggery, and sesame cooked down into a shelf-stable rice mix.

Vegan millet soup with cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, and fresh herbs in a soy milk broth with tamari and nutritional yeast. A creamy, protein-rich plant-based soup ready in 30 minutes.

Chickpeas in spicy tahini sauce with salsa, lemon, tamari, and arrowroot for a thick, glossy coating. A vegan, high-protein main dish cooked from dried chickpeas.

Gingered tofu peanut spread with fresh ginger, garlic, tamari, and natural peanut butter pureed into a creamy vegan sandwich spread. No cooking required, ready in 10 minutes.

Vegan eggplant bake layered with a savory nutritional yeast and tahini sauce. Sliced eggplant and sauteed onions in a creamy, dairy-free, cheese-like sauce with tamari and basil.

Seasoned tempeh aspic: grated tempeh browned with tamari and paprika, set in an agar-based vegetarian aspic with dill pickle and bell peppers. A meat-free spin on old-world cold cuts, served with rye and mustard.