Tamarind fruit is a popular ingredient throughout Asian (and Latin) cooking, especially in Thailand where it’s used to add a slightly sweet, slightly bitter flavor to stir-fry sauces and other dishes. The pulp of the fruit is very sticky and needs to soak in water before being pressed through a sieve to form a mush. The pressed pulp is then combined with the soaking liquid to create tamarind juice (or tamarind “water”).
If you choose to make your own tamarind juice using fresh fruit, simply crack open the pods with your fingers and pull out the pulp. Remove the stringy fibers that run the length of it and squeeze out the hard seeds inside. Soak about one-half cup of pulp (from 5-6 pods) in one-and-one-half cups of water for about an hour. Press the pulp through a sieve into a bowl and add most of the soaking liquid. When stirred together, the consistency should be similar to canned tomato juice.
Already prepared, canned tamarind juice is available in Asian and Latin markets and in the international sections of some supermarkets. Tamarind pulp also can be bought in compressed blocks, ready to mix with water.
Thai Pork and Vegetables with Spicy Tamarind Sauce
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 red Thai chiles, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup tamarind juice
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
For the Pork and Vegetables
- 4 4-oz boneless pork chops, cut into thin 1-inch strips
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp water
- 3 tbsp peanut oil, divided
- 1 small Daikon radish, peeled and julienned
- 1 small bitter melon, cut in half lengthwise, each half cut into thin half-moons (seeds removed)
- 1 Chinese eggplant, cut in half lengthwise, each half cut into thin half-moons
- 1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced and separated
- 3 cups steamed white rice
- 1 cup cilantro leaves with thin stems
Preparation
For the Sauce
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Add the chiles, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant and slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice and stir well until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Pork and Vegetables
- Place the pork strips in a sealable plastic bag and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Shake well to cover all the pork.
- Stir the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the pork and stir-fry until just cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Transfer the pork to a bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok or skillet. Add the radish and stir-fry 2 minutes.
- Add the melon, eggplant, mushrooms, and white parts of the scallions and stir-fry 3 minutes.
- Return the pork to the wok or skillet and stir to combine.
- Re-stir the cornstarch and water mixture and whisk into the tamarind sauce. Pour the sauce over the pork and vegetables and stir-fry until glossy and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Divide the rice among 4 shallow bowls. Divide the stir-fry mixture and spoon on top of the rice. Scatter the greens parts of the scallions and cilantro leaves on top and serve.
For another tamarind recipe, try Caribbean Baked Chicken with Sweet Tamarind Sauce
For other stir-fry ideas, try:
Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Tangy Orange Sauce
Chicken Stir-Fry with Vegetables and Spicy Peanut Sauce
Stir-Fry Noodles with Vegetables and Pineapple-Orange Sauce
Tofu Stir-Fry with Vegetables and Hot and Sweet Sauce
Pamela Steed Hill - Pamela Steed Hill is an editor, freelance writer, and home cook. She has published over 250 food articles and recipes online.
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