Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Delicious coconut shrimp made easy and lighter in the Air Fryer.

Check out this recipe

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

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Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce Recipe

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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Cook ModePrevent 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

  

1x2x3x

• 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

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