Tamarind Curry

Curry, Dinner
Beginner

This Tamarind Curry is a Top Chow competition winner. It has a sizzling base of warm, curry flavours, Fry’s Chunky Strips and sweetened tomatoes simmered until thick, rich and aromatic. Finish with fresh coriander, and serve with roti or basmati rice for an unforgettable plant-based curry.

Serves: 4–6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 bag Fry’s Chunky Strips
3 Tbsp oil
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain (ajmo) seeds
10–12 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
1 white onion, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp ground chilli
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
2 tsp Gorima’s Fish Masala
30g seedless tamarind, soaked in 50ml water
4–5 ripe tomatoes, blanched and peeled
Salt, to taste
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat.
Add the fenugreek, mustard, cumin and ajwain seeds. Stir in the curry leaves and dried red chillies and cook until the seeds begin to pop.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook until softened and translucent.
Add the ground ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, asafoetida and Gorima’s Fish Masala. Cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the Fry’s Chunky Strips and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in the water for 10 minutes. Blend the soaked tamarind together with the blanched tomatoes until smooth.
Pour the tomato and tamarind mixture into the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until the curry is rich and thick.
Stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, sugar (if using) and salt to taste.
Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and serve hot with roti or basmati rice.

Serving suggestion: Serve with warm roti or fluffy basmati rice for a comforting, flavour-packed meal.

What is tamarind and how do I use it in curry?

Tamarind is a sour, fruity ingredient used to add depth and tanginess to curries. In this Fry’s Top Chow Tamarind Curry recipe, seedless tamarind is soaked in water, blended with liquidised tomatoes and added to the curry to create a signature tangy flavour.

Can I make a plant-based fish masala curry?

Yes, fish masala spice blend works beautifully with plant-based proteins. In this Top Chow Tamarind Curry, it’s used with Fry’s Chunky Strips to create a rich, authentic curry without any fish or meat.