Cashew Tamarind Sauce
Sweet, tangy, and nutty, this cashew tamarind sauce is a homemade take on the dip served with Cheesecake Factory avocado egg rolls. Cashews give it body, tamarind adds a fruity tang, and fresh ginger, garlic, and cilantro round out the flavor.
It takes about 10 minutes to blend and needs no cooking. Team it up with some roasted zucchini dip and your favorite crudites and crackers for a nice summer party snack.
I've tried a TON of sauce recipes over the last few years- everything from the classics like homemade BBQ sauce and homemade Buffalo sauce to unique ones like Amba sauce and Middle Eastern Schug sauce.
This version is all about the balance between tangy tamarind, sweet seasoning, and nutty cashews. You can leave it slightly textured for dipping or blend it more smoothly for drizzling.
Quick Look: Cashew Tamarind Sauce
- 🔪 Prep time: 10 minutes; optional cashew soaking takes extra time.
- ⏲️ Cook time: No cooking required.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Cashews, tamarind paste, ginger, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, sugar, turmeric, and olive oil.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Blitz cashews and aromatics → add remaining ingredients → blend → taste and serve.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Avocado egg rolls, spring rolls, vegetable platters, and grain bowls.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- There is no cooking involved: the blender handles the whole sauce, from breaking down the nuts to combining the flavors.
- It comes together in just under 10 minutes- just like my salsa di Parmigiano and is great to pair with a lot of different snacks and appetizers.
Recipe Ingredients
Cashews: These give the sauce its nutty flavor and body. Unsalted cashews let you control the seasoning more easily.
Aromatics: You'll need both fresh ginger and garlic here. They'll add a slight heat and lot of flavor to the sauce. I end up using my homemade ginger garlic paste whenever I have it at hand.
Vinegar: I used a mix of apple cider vinegar (for that fruity flavor), white vinegar (for the tanginess) and some balsamic vinegar (for added depth and color) here. You can stick to using just white vinegar if that's what you have.
Tamarind paste: Gives the sauce its fruity, sour flavor. Use smooth, seedless paste. Tamarind products vary in strength, so taste before adding extra.
Turmeric: Just a little, for that color and earthy flavor.
Oil: Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use an infused oil like garlic rosemary olive oil if you want to.
Seasonings: Salt and sugar balance the tart ingredients. Honey is another sweetener option, though it changes the flavor. I love using my jalapeno honey here for that heat.
Cilantro: For that pop of color.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Skip the classic sea salt and use an infused salt like jalapeno salt (to add heat), garlic parsley salt or herb salt (for extra flavor) or even a zesty citrus salt (for that bit of tang) to season the sauce.
- You can also use some date sugar instead of regular sugar to balance the tanginess, though it may make the sauce darker and slightly more textured.
How to Make Cashew Tamarind Sauce
Step 1: Blitz the cashews in a blender jar until you get a coarse mixture. Add the fresh ginger and garlic and blitz again.
Step 2: Next, add the cilantro, turmeric, sugar, salt, oil, vinegar and tamarind paste.
Step 3: Blend until the ingredients come together into a spoonable sauce with a little texture. Scrape down the sides as needed, then taste and adjust the sweetness, tang, and salt.
Step 4: Serve immediately, or transfer to a clean, airtight container and refrigerate promptly.
💭Top Tip
For a smoother sauce, soak the cashews in warm water for about 20 minutes, then drain well before blending. This adds time beyond the 10-minute prep and changes the texture from nutty and coarse to creamier.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- For a creamier variation, blend in some ripe avocado. This changes the flavor and color, so add it gradually and plan to enjoy the sauce fresh.
- If tamarind paste is unavailable, lime juice can add acidity, but it will not reproduce tamarind’s fruity flavor. Add it gradually and rebalance the sugar rather than substituting the same amount automatically.
- I kept the sauce simple and let the tangy-sweet flavor shine though. If you want to add a kick of heat, use some hot pepper vinegar or add some fresh jalapenos or jalapeno flakes into the mix.
- Got some extra cashews? Whip up a nice cashew basil Pesto to use for your pastas and Italian favorites.
How to Serve Cashew Tamarind Sauce
You can serve this cashew tamarind sauce as a dip with your homemade avocado rolls or egg rolls.
I like to feature this as a dip along with my other favorites of nacho cheese sauce, Schezwan sauce and jalapeno mayo whenever I'm entertaining and planning a snack platter or a grazing table.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
A little ground ginger and garlic powder can work in a pinch, but fresh aromatics give the sauce a brighter flavor. Start with small amounts and taste, since the dried versions are concentrated.
Refrigerate promptly in a clean, airtight container and use within 3 days. Use a clean spoon, and keep the sauce cold until serving. The cilantro may darken and the sauce may thicken as it sits.
Tamarind paste and vinegar vary in strength. Add a little more sugar or a few extra cashews, blend again, and taste. Next time, hold back a little tamarind until you have checked the balance.
Blend in a little clean water, a few drops at a time, until it reaches the consistency you want. Taste again afterward, since thinning also dilutes the seasoning.
No. A slightly coarse, nutty texture works well for a dipping sauce. For a smoother result, soak and drain the cashews first, use a suitable blender, and pause to scrape down the sides.
The recipe uses sugar and plant-based ingredients. If you choose a sweetener variation, use a vegan option instead of honey, and check the labels on packaged ingredients.
More Sauce Recipes
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If you tried this Cashew Tamarind Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cashew Tamarind Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch turmeric
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Blitz the cashews in a blender jar until you get a coarse mixture. Add the fresh ginger and garlic and blitz again.
- Next, add the cilantro, turmeric, sugar, salt, oil, vinegar and tamarind paste.
- Blend till you get a gritty mixture that has a sauce-like consistency.
- Serve immediately or store for later.
Notes
- Need to bulk up the sauce? Add a whole avocado into the mix.
- If you can't find tamarind paste, use freshly squeezed lime juice to get that tangy, sour flavor.
- I kept the sauce simple and let the tangy-sweet flavor shine though. If you want to add a kick of heat, use some hot pepper vinegar or add some fresh jalapenos or jalapeno flakes into the mix.
- Got some extra cashews? Whip up a nice cashew basil Pesto to use for your pastas and Italian favorites.
