Tamarind is a large seed pod grown and used in the cuisine of almost every equatorial country. Its pulp is processed into a dark brown paste, which is used as you might tomato paste, concentrated stock, or, for that matter, ketchup—as a simple flavor enhancer that completely changes the nature of the sauce into which it is stirred. You can make your own paste (page 585) or buy the paste now sold in bottles at many Asian stores. (There is also a kind of instant tamarind powder, which is not very good.) The bottled paste is concentrated to increase its strength, so if you use homemade tamarind paste, double the quantity (or add to taste). As for this recipe, you can use the same process to make almost anything in a tamarind sauce, but shrimp, because it requires minimal cooking time, is by far the easiest. I like to brown the shrimp first for a little more flavor, but you could actually start this recipe with the second step and add the shrimp after the onion. The dish is best when quite sour and not—as happens at too many restaurants—a sticky combination of sweet and sour.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 pounds shrimp, peeled

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1 small fresh chile, stemmed, seeded, and diced, or 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

　　1/4 cup tamarind paste, or to taste

　　1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　Lime wedges for serving

　　

Step 1

Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat. After a minute, add as many shrimp as will fit comfortably in one layer—do not try to brown all the shrimp at once. As soon as they begin to brown, about a minute later, turn them, cook them for about 30 seconds on the other side, and remove them from the pan. Repeat until all the shrimp are done, then turn off the heat for a minute.

　　

Step 2

Turn the heat to medium and add the butter; when it melts, add the onion, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and chile and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tamarind paste and 1/4 cup water. Stir to blend, then taste and add more tamarind paste if necessary. Return the shrimp to the pan, bring to a boil, then stir in the lime juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, a minute or so.

　　

Step 3

Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve over rice with the lime wedges.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.