Looking for a "Thai" peanut sauce or a Tamarind Sauce

[MelanieC]

I'm looking for a thai peanut sauce or a tamarind sauce like they use at the Cheesecake factory. I'm hoping to make a raw version of my favorite dish at Cheesecake factory the Thai lettuce wraps. I'm not even sure what tamarind is - this sauce is a little sweet.

I'm hoping to make the thai peanut sauce out of something else besides peanuts.

[RaeVynn]

Tamarind is some sort of fruit... I've seen tamarind paste at Safeway, in the "ethnic" food section. I would bet an Asian grocery would carry it, too.

For a 'peanut sauce', I've blended raw almond butter with a bit of Thai chili/curry paste, and then added other seasonings (tumeric, or nama shoyu, for instance) to make it taste 'right.'

[DebB]

Hi MelanieC ~ I'm not familiar with The C'cake Factory's sauce, but here are some I've saved in my files that may help out. I'm going to include the entire recipe so as not to break it up, the sauce is at the end:
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Spicy Thai Vegetable Wraps with tamarind dipping sauce - Sarma Melngailis


Tamarind pulp can be found as cellophane-wrapped, sun-dried bricks in Asian, Latin, and Indian markets. Tamarind pulp is the sticky interior of pods that grow on a variety of evergreen tree originally native to Africa. Tamarind, which is very intense in flavor, lends sweet-and-sour notes to dishes. Because the pulp usually contains seeds, you should always strain it before use. Pull off an amount appropriate to your needs and soak it in warm, purified water for about 15 minutes. Then strain the pulp and liquid through a fine-mesh colander into a bowl to catch the usable diluted pulp, leaving the seeds and fibers caught in the mesh. (Discard what’s left in the strainer.)
Recipe by Sarma Mengailis | Raw Food Real World (Harper Collins, 2005)
Makes 12 Wraps

For the wraps:
1/2 cup chopped raw cashews (dehydrated, if preferred)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 tablespoon chipped red chile, seeds included
1 1/2 tablespoons nama shoyu
1 cup raw almond butter
1/2 head savoy cabbage, shredded
6 very large collard green leaves
1 large carrot, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 large ripe mango, cut lengthwise into strips, about 1/4-inch thick
2 cups bean sprouts
1 handful cilantro leaves
1 handful torn basil leaves
1/2 handful mint leaves (torn or cut if leaves are large)

Step 1 In a small bowl, mix the cashews, sesame oil, and salt and set aside.
Step 2 In a high-speed blender, puree the maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, red chile, and nama shoyu. Add the almond butter and blend at low speed to combine. Add water to thin if necessary, to get a thick, cake batter - like consistency.
Step 3 In a medium bowl, add the shredded cabbage and the almond butter mixture and toss well to combine (this is easiest if you use your hands).
Step 4 Cut out the center rib of each collard green leaf, dividing the leaf in half. Place 1 half leaf on a cutting board with the underside facing up. Arrange a few tablespoons of the cabbage mixture evenly across the bottom third of the leaf, leaving about 1 1/2 inches clear at the bottom. Sprinkle some of the chopped cashews over the cabbage. Lay a few sticks of carrot, a few strips of mango, and a few sprouts on top. Add a few leaves each of cilantro, basil, and mint. Fold the bottom of the collard leaf up and over the filling, keeping it tight, and tuck the leaf under the ingredients and roll forward. Place the roll seam side down on a serving dish. Repeat with remaining collard leaves and ingredients. Serve with the tamarind dipping sauce.



For the tamarind dipping sauce:
1 cup soaked and strained tamarind pulp
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon nama shoyu
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt

Place the tamarind pulp, maple syrup, nama shoyu, and olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Place in a separate bowl and set aside. This sauce may be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days. It can also be frozen if you have leftovers or want to make it in advance.


http://gliving.com/sarmas-spicy-thai-vegetable-wraps/#more-5461

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Sweet & Spicy Thai Rolls - raweater
These Thai rolls taste amazing and are very satisfying.

For the rolls:
1/2 cup almond butter or ¾ cup almonds
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T agave
1 T fresh grated ginger or ½ T ginger powder
2 T Nama Shoyu (or organic soy sauce)
1/2 T sesame oil
1 t jalapeno or other hot pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 t Celtic salt
1 carrot, cut in one inch pieces
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 head of red cabbage, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 banana, cut into one inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (optional)
2 T fresh mint leaves (optional)
8-12 large lettuce leaves

For the sauce:
1/2 cup soaked and strained tamarind or 1/4 cup dates (if not fresh, soak for 20 minutes) and 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu (or organic soy sauce)
1 T agave
1/2 T Nama Shoyu (or organic soy sauce)
1/2 T sesame oil
1/2 T flax seeds

In a food processor, place almond butter or almonds, lime juice, agave, ginger, Nama Shoyu, sesame oil, jalapeno, garlic and Celtic salt and process until smooth. You may need to add a bit of water to help it blend, add as little as possible. If your food processor is less than 14 cups, you should transfer this mix into a separate bowl, otherwise you can leave it in. Add carrot pieces and pulse to break it into smaller pieces. Add cashews, cabbage, banana, cilantro, basil and mint and pulse a few times to chop ingredients and mix well, you will probably have to open the food processor a few times to scrape the sides and press the larger ingredients into the blades several times as it will be thick, but do not over process, it should be chunky. If you put the first part in a separate bowl, put the second part in the bowl and mix well. Place some of the mix onto each lettuce leave and roll. Blend all sauce ingredients in a blender.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=41724