A long time ago I picked up a small jar of tamarind concentrate to try. Since the one time that I used it, it has been sitting at the back of my fridge, forgotten. I recently came across a recipe for shrimp and avocados in a tamarind sauce that sounded good and reminded me of that little jar of tamarind concentrate lost in my fridge. Tamarind is tart and it works well in dishes where you are trying to get a nice balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. The prawn and avocados in a tamarind sauce came together quickly and easily. This dish was pretty tasty and I really enjoyed the tamarind flavour. The avocado added a nice coolness and creaminess to the dish. Jasmine rice is quickly becoming one of my favorite rices for its aroma and flavour and I enjoy cooking it in coconut milk to add an extra layer of flavour. I served this dish on coconut jasmine rice and the tamarind sauce mixed in with the coconut rice was a nice flavour combination. I am looking forward to using tamarind again and I will have to keep an eye out to see if I can see some fresh tamarind to try.
Shrimp and Avocado in Tamarind Sauce
ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deviened)
- 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 shallot (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 2 avocados (peeled, stoned and cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
directions
- Marinate the shrimp in the tamarind, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and chili sauce for 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the shallot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp and marinade and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 1-3 minutes. (If you want a more liquidy sauce you can add some water.)
- Remove from heat and stir in the avocado and cilantro.
That looks and sounds fab, Kevin.
Never used tamarind before – sounds like a great addition for flavor!
Looks good. Tamarind, I find, is one of those wonder ingredients that really transform a dish.
I wouldn’t want to discourage you from fresh tamarind, but they are a lot of work. As in, they can take a good couple of hours to peel, soak, and wring. Concentrate is probably the best way to go. Or, if you want something closer to the soaking and wringing experience, a block of tamarind pulp. We have some pictures up on our blog of TS preparing some tamarind here: http://eatingclubvancouver.blogspot.com/2008/03/pad-thai.html
Other tamarind dishes:
http://eatingclubvancouver.blogspot.com/search/label/tamarind
Kevin, you do Asian dishes so well, the deep red in the shrimp looks so good. The avocado makes this nice and buttery.
tamarind is often used in Indian food. It makes me think I should make and post some tamarind rice.
I never bought Tamarind. I wonder how it taste like. This recipe looks perfect for a warm weather that we have today.
I never used tamarind before either. Im not even sure that Ive even eaten it before… but that combination of shrimp and avocado looks perfect!
I love shrimp, love jasmine rice, love avocado…I think I will have to try this one soon. Looks fantastic, Kevin!
I really like it that you cook such a wide variety of cuisine! I have not used tamarind before too, gotta try this someday!
That looks terrific! Your creations are always so beautiful to look at, and I bet this tastes as good as it looks! Yum!
The tamarind sauce sounds unusual and mouthwatering. well done!
Kevin, You too should quit your day job!
Hey I see you around What´s For Lunch, Honey a lot? Great blog, eh? I am hosting an event dedicated to trying foods from other bloggers. Meeta is in the spotlight for July. I really hope you can participate 🙂
Oh yum, what a great sauce!
That looks delicious and the tamarind sauce goes just perfect with it all!
Kevin, this looks like the kind of thing that will go down just right in my family 🙂
I cooked a risotto last night, and made extras so I could try your Arancini recipe. Wish me luck!
Looks great – I have a jar of tamarind. I must have a go at that, it looks really yummy.
I’ve tried making tamarind shrimps, so I know this is good or even better!
That is fantastic, Kevin– shrimp with the amalgamation of flavors in nuoc me chua is just dreamy 🙂 You should try making pad thai!
I would not want to use fresh tamarind, though, it’s such a pain!
Say tamarind and I shall be there 🙂
tamarind is one of the common spices that we add in Indian food, but never before did I think that using it is a “lot of work”! Actually I simply buy the fresh tamarind without the hard rind..but with all the stone pits and most fibres. Soak it in warm water (if in a hurry) for 5 mins, squeeze it in my hands..to get the pulp:)
ur lovely dish reminds me of typical south-indian dish..yummy:)
This looks really tasty, and not overly complicated. I love the flavor of tamarind, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried it with avocado.
i never imagine that shrimp, avocado and tamarind will sound this yummy together!! i love it
Well that looks positively wonderful. Where can I find tamarind concentrate?
I’ve never tried tamarind concentrate – I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it. And jasmine rice is my all-time favorite – so much flavor!
I, too, have never used tamarind sauce. Where did you find yours?
That dish looks amazing. You are such a great cook Kevin.
What cookbooks do you frequent?
Another superb recipe!
Nothing beat the fresh tamarind. I hope you’ll be able to find the fresh one, it taste way better and quite different.
Looks good! Interesting combination.
I’ve never tried tamarind before, but this looks like a great way to start, Kevin!
I love your combination of flavours and textures in this dish.
I adore tamarind! Your shrimp look so plump and juicy. Yum.
We love to eat shrimp with avocado Kevin, is really tasty, this dish look wonderful!! xGloria
This is a really pretty dish, and sounds good, as I love the flavor of tamarind!
Bruno: I found the tamarind concentrate at a local Asian grocery store. You should also be able to find it at an Indian grocery store.
Dawn: See my the last comment for finding the tamarind concentrate. As for cookbooks, I am now finding so much great material online that I have not had much time for cookbooks. When I first started cooking I was really into Japanese food and I picked up and really enjoyed a couple of Japanese cookbooks. I then moved onto a few Italian cookbooks, etc.
Fabulous combination it looks delicious.
Please come to my house and cook dinner for me! I love tamarind! I will provide some nice wine and pleasant witty conversation… and my husband won’t mind.. he likes tamarind too.. and the kids… they can have rice and soy… they like that… Whaddaya say?!
Really – a lovely dish. Good job!
i love tamarind. i’ve never had avocados with shrimp but someone else suggested that combo after i posted the guacamole on my blog. i’ll have to try this!
Hi Kevin, I made your dish a couple of nights ago and turned out really good! Thanks so much for sharing. The only thing that I had to change is the quantity of Tamarind, I thought it was a little much, which may make this dish too sour. I added one table spoon and had to increase the sugar to 2 table spoon. Next time I make it, I will use one tsp and I believe it will be good, at least for my taste 🙂 In our cuisine, and I am from Baghdad by the way, we use tamarind with dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) to give the dish an interesting kick without having to add a lot of lemon juice.
I really like your blog, it is very neat and deliciously attractive. I am looking forward to trying your other recipe (Tilapia with pesto and roasted tomato). Have good evening!