Kokum Substitutes, Ranked by the Job Kokum Is Doing

Out of kokum? Tamarind is the first swap to try. Kokum is widely used as a substitute for tamarind,¹ and going the other way works too. The best choice still depends on whether you need kokum’s sourness in a simmered curry, a dry tartness, or a drink like solkadhi. One thing none of them brings is kokum’s deep pink-purple color.

Quick answer

How the ratios on this page are labeled

Every ratio carries one of four labels.

• Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship.
• Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
• Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. You get each one, side by side.
• Method: our starting point, based on how the two compare. Taste and adjust.

Kokum pieces vary in size and sourness, and no source gives a standard acidity for dried kokum. So every amount here is a starting point to adjust by taste, not a measured equivalent.

If kokum is souring a simmered dish

1. Tamarind

Tamarind is the swap the sources point to. Kokum is used in place of tamarind, and the Tarla Dalal site says kokum sours food the same way tamarind does, especially in coconut-based curries, dals and vegetable dishes.²

The acids differ, though, and tamarind pulp carries a good deal of sugar, which is why ripe tamarind is prized for its “acidic sweetness.”³ Expect tamarind to taste sweeter and fruitier, and to turn the dish brown, not pink.

Ratio (Method): Start with about 1 teaspoon of thick tamarind pulp or paste for every 3 pieces of dried kokum. Stir it in, simmer a few minutes and taste before adding more. Commercial concentrates vary in strength, so start lower if you’re using one.

2. Malabar tamarind (kudampuli)

On paper, Malabar tamarind is the closest match. Spices Board India lists it as kodampuli in Malayalam, native to the Western Ghats of Kerala, and says its dried rind is used as a condiment to flavor curries. The rind contains hydroxycitric acid,⁴ the same acid that leads in kokum.¹ We found no source comparing the two rinds’ acidity directly, and the Malabar rind won’t give you kokum’s pink color.

Ratio (Method): Start with 1 or 2 pieces of Malabar tamarind for every 3 pieces of kokum, soaked or simmered the same way, and taste after 10 minutes. Pull the pieces out before serving, as you would kokum.

If kokum is adding a dry tartness

Use these where you’d add a little soaked kokum or kokum pulp to a dry vegetable dish, a chutney or a spice mix.

1. Amchur (mango powder)

Amchur is ground dried raw mango. Katzer says it’s often used in place of tamarind, and calls it much weaker than tamarind, for when you only want a hint of tartness.⁵ It has no color to speak of.

Ratio (Method): Start with about 1/2 teaspoon per 3 pieces of kokum and add more in small steps, since it’s mild.

2. Anardana

Anardana is sun-dried pomegranate seed with its pulp, and a review describes it as an acidulant in many Asian cuisines and curries.⁶ Ground, it adds a fruity sourness.

Ratio (Method): Start with about 1 teaspoon ground anardana per 3 pieces of kokum and taste.

3. Sumac

Sumac works as a sour finishing powder, fruitier and more astringent than kokum. Ratio (Method): Start with about 1/2 teaspoon per 3 pieces of kokum.

If kokum is in a drink

Kokum is the key ingredient in solkadhi, a traditional drink, and it’s also made into a syrup, amrut kokum, that gets diluted for summer drinks.⁷ Kokum kadi is made by mixing kokum juice with coconut milk. In drinks, the color matters as much as the sourness, and none of the substitutes here supplies it.

Ratio (Method): For sourness alone, lime juice is the simplest choice. Start with about 1 teaspoon per 3 pieces of kokum and add more to taste. The drink will be pale.

Other sour ingredients

• Vinegar and lemon juice add sharpness. Stir them in near the end of cooking.
• Tomato adds mild acidity and body, but also its own flavor and color.

What isn’t known

• No source gives a standard acidity for dried kokum. The ICAR article’s composition table lists acid as hydroxycitric acid at 22.8 percent but doesn’t say whether that’s on a fresh or dry basis.⁷

Related

• Kokum
• Mango powder, mango powder substitutes
• Anardana, anardana substitutes
• Sumac, sumac substitutes
• Too much tamarind, too much vinegar