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Home » Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

April 27, 2020 by Debi 8 Comments

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This is a copycat recipe for that amazing Cheesecake Factory Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce. They serve it with their avocado egg rolls and their lettuce wraps.

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce in a jar on a white background with the title

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This post may contain affiliate links. Life Currents participates in different affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information see here.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce  in a white bowl with sangak bread and cilantro in the background

Back to that sauce

It’s so good, sweet and tangy, kicky sauce made with vinegars, cilantro, garlic, honey, tamarind, and cashews along with some spices. It’s rich and delicious. Oh my gosh I could dip everything in it.

Previously, I made Air Fryer Avocado Fries to go with it. But it’s so good I wanted it to have a post of its own.

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce spread on a plate with a spoon

What is tamarind?

Tamarind is a fruit native to Asia and northern Africa.

The tree grows pods that are about 5-inches long, that contain small seeds and a sour-sweet pulp.

Tamarind is one of the ingredients in Pad Thai that makes the dish so delicious.

It’s also an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.

square crop of Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce in a jar

What is tamarind concentrate?

They take that tamarind pulp, harvest it, and turn it into cakes, blocks, or paste.

Normally tamarind paste and tamarind concentrate are the same product. They come in jars and are thick and smooth but spoonable.

It’s worth the time and money to find buy the tamarind paste for this sauce. It’s got a great fruity sweet and sour to a tangy and tart flavor.

Sometime you will find tamarind pulp in the stores. This tamarind pulp is different than paste or concentrate, because it’s the compressed cake form of the skinned whole fruits.

Tamarind pulp needs to be first soaked in boiling water and then rubbed through a sieve or strainer to remove the fibers and any seeds.

It may be worth buying a block of tamarind pulp rather than the ready made up paste depending on how often you use it, as the block will keep longer, and you can reconstitute the amount you need with water to make a paste.

But, if you’re only making this recipe with the tamarind, you only need ½ a teaspoon, and the recipe makes a nice big batch. So I like the small jar of tamarind concentrate for the convenience.

I bought my (affiliate link) tamarind concentrate through Amazon, but I’ve also seen it in Mexican markets, Asian markets, and Middle-Eastern markets.

a piece of bread dipped into Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

What can I serve with this sauce?

Besides those Avocado Fries I mentioned. I have served this sauce with flatbread or naan, I’ve stirred a spoonful into stir fry veggies. I’ve topped grilled fish with it.

It’s delicious on any roasted veggie. Or, dip some raw veggies into it.

Try making these finger foods to dunk into it, like these Fried Cheese Balls. Or any of these delicious snacks:

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
These baked zucchini fries are a nice healthy option for tailgating snacks month.
Check out this recipe
These healthy baked zucchini fries are a nice option for tailgating snacks month. Not everything has to be fried or cheesy to be delicious for game day!
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Delicious coconut shrimp made easy and lighter in the Air Fryer.
Check out this recipe
breaded shrimp on a white plate in front of another white plate with more shrimp and some dipping sauce on it
Air Fryer Vegetable Egg Rolls
These easy to make and healthy air fryer egg rolls are super tasty and very impressive. They’re crunchy on the outside and filled with tender cooked veggies in a light Asian flavor sauce.
Check out this recipe
a stack of egg rolls that were cooked in the air fryer and garnished with green onions
Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce  in a white bowl with bread and cilantro in th background

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Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce long pin for pinterest with two images and the title

Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce Recipe

Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce in a white bowl with bread and cilantro in th background

Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce

Debi
This is a copycat recipe for that amazing Cheesecake Factory Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce. They serve it with their avocado fries and their lettuce wraps.
4.83 from 34 votes
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Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 20 servings
Calories 72 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate or paste
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch powdered saffron or turmeric
  • ½ cup chopped cashews
  • 2/3 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Stir together vinegars, tamarind paste, honey, sugar, and saffron or turmeric in a small microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until tamarind and sugar are dissolved.
  • In a blender, puree tamarind mixture, cashews, cilantro, garlic, onions, pepper, cumin, and oil. Pour mixture into a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Store in the fridge up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container.
Serving amounts will vary depending on how much you eat. It makes a nice big batch of sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 48IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword dipping, tamarind
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!
 
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Filed Under: Dips and Spreads, Gluten-free, Sauces, Condiments, & Preserves Tagged With: cashew, Cooking, Food, food processor, recipe, sauce, tamarind

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shirish

    June 13, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    5 stars
    Very close to the original. My wife will be happy!

  2. Richlyn J

    January 18, 2022 at 4:33 pm

    Should I be buying the tamarind paste/concentrate that originates from india or thailand ?

  3. Debi

    January 18, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    Richlyn, This is the tamarind paste I used when making this dipping sauce. I have had good luck with it. {affiliate link} https://amzn.to/32gQums

  4. Frances Von Schmidt

    April 22, 2022 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    This sauce is so good with samosas from Cheesecake Factory

  5. Pamela

    August 29, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    Made this exactly as written and it’s delicious!! Perfect dupe.

  6. stacey

    February 27, 2023 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight with the avocado egg rolls and I am so happy! I’ve been waiting a LONG timw for this dressing recipe and it worked so well! Thank you!

  7. Cindy

    May 22, 2023 at 6:11 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is delicious and very close to the restaurant version. I’m extremely happy to know that I can make this whenever I get a craving for Thai chicken lettuce wraps ❤️

  8. Lisa

    June 4, 2023 at 5:25 am

    5 stars
    This is Absolutely Delicious! If you love the Cheescake Factory’s version… this is better!

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Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read More >>>

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