Fruits · IFCT 2017
Tamarind: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, tamarind pulp gives 288 kcal, 67.3 g carbohydrate, 52.9 g sugars, 9.16 mg iron, 149 mg calcium and 0.34 mg thiamine, according to IFCT 2017. It ranks 1st of 43 fruits for iron and magnesium, 1st of 44 for thiamine and 2nd for calcium and potassium. The catch is portion size: most dishes use only a small lump of pulp.
About tamarind
Tamarind is the sour heart of South Indian cooking: imli in Hindi and Urdu, puli in Tamil and Malayalam, chintha pandu in Telugu, hunise hannu in Kannada, chinch in Marathi, tentuli in Odia and tetul in Bengali. The trees line roads and village squares across the Deccan, and the brown pods are harvested in late winter and spring, then shelled, deseeded and pressed into blocks that keep for a year.
A lemon-sized ball of pulp is soaked in warm water and squeezed to give the extract that sours sambar, rasam, puliyodarai and bisi bele bath, and coastal fish curries and fish fry. In the north, tamarind becomes saunth or imli chutney for chaat and the tangy water of pani puri and bhel. Children everywhere know it as a sweet and sour sweet, rolled with jaggery and chilli into chigali or imli candy.
What tamarind brings to a meal
- 01
Iron leader among fruits
At 9.16 mg per 100 g, tamarind pulp ranks 1st of 43 fruits and 16th of 242 foods for iron. In a typical dish the amount actually eaten is small, so the iron reaching the plate is far less.
- 02
Calcium and magnesium
Tamarind has 149 mg calcium and 83 mg magnesium per 100 g, 2nd and 1st among fruits. 100 g of pulp would meet about 15 per cent of the daily calcium requirement.
- 03
Thiamine and potassium
Its 0.34 mg thiamine ranks 1st of 44 fruits, about 19 per cent of a man's daily requirement, and 836 mg potassium ranks 2nd of 44 fruits.
- 04
Mostly sugar, under the sourness
Of 67.3 g carbohydrate per 100 g, 52.9 g is sugars. The sour acids mask the sweetness, but tamarind sweets and chutneys add jaggery on top.
Tamarind nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 288 kcal | 14% | 17% |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 5% | 6% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 67.3 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 5.3 g | ||
| Free sugars | 52.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 20.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 13 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 149 mg | 15% | 15% |
| Iron | 9.16 mg | 48% | 32% |
| Zinc | 0.58 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 83 mg | 19% | 22% |
| Phosphorus | 113 mg | ||
| Potassium | 836 mg | ||
| Sodium | 25 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.5 mg | ||
| Selenium | 2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 3.6 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.34 mg | 19% | 20% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.56 mg | 9% | 11% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Folate (B9) | 10 µg | 3% | 5% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.1 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 1.7 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Tamarind: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/tamarind/
Where tamarind sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 43 fruits and every food in the tables.
How tamarind is eaten
- Tamarind extract in sambar and rasam, the everyday South Indian sour base.
- Puliyodarai, the tamarind rice of Tamil temples, cooked with a thick tamarind paste and roasted spices.
- Imli chutney or saunth with jaggery, dry ginger and roasted cumin, poured over bhel and samosa.
- A little pulp ground into coconut chutney in Karnataka and Andhra homes.
- Chigali, sun-dried tamarind pounded with jaggery and chilli into a sweet and sour lollipop.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Bhel Puri
West Indian · Snack
Bisi Bele Bath
South Indian · Main course
Coconut Chutney
South Indian · Side dish
Indian Fish Fry
South Indian · Main course
Idli Sambar (Steamed Rice Cakes with Lentil Vegetable Stew)
South Indian · Breakfast
Kerala Fish Curry (Coconut & Kokum Fish Curry)
South Indian · Main course
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Calories in Green Chutney
27 kcal in 1 tablespoon of green chutney.
Calories in Jal Jeera
42 kcal in 1 glass of jal jeera.
Calories in Prawn Curry
313 kcal in 1 bowl of prawn curry.
Calories in Sambar
249 kcal in 1 bowl of sambar.
Calories in Tamarind Rice
477 kcal in 1 plate of tamarind rice.
Calories in Vangi Bath
538 kcal in 1 plate of vangi bath.
Before you plan around it
The per 100 g figures look large, but a dish for a family uses only a small ball of pulp, and only the extract is used, so the minerals reaching each plate are modest. The iron is plant iron, absorbed less well than iron from meat. Tamarind is acidic and can wear tooth enamel when sucked as candy. Sweet imli chutney is mostly jaggery or sugar. With 836 mg potassium per 100 g, kidney patients on a potassium limit should ask their dietitian about tamarind-heavy dishes.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about tamarind
Is tamarind high in iron?
Per 100 g, yes: IFCT 2017 lists 9.16 mg iron in tamarind pulp, the highest of 43 fruits. But cooks use only a small lump, and only its extract, so each serving of sambar or rasam carries little of it. Pulses, greens and millets supply far more iron per meal.
Is tamarind good for people with diabetes?
Tamarind pulp has 67.3 g carbohydrate and 52.9 g sugars per 100 g, but the small amount in sambar or rasam adds little. Sweet imli chutney and tamarind candy are another story, carrying added jaggery or sugar. Plan sweets with your doctor or dietitian.
What is tamarind called in different languages?
IFCT 2017 records imli in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, puli in Tamil and Malayalam, chintha pandu in Telugu, hunise hannu in Kannada, chinch in Marathi, amli in Gujarati, tentuli in Odia and tetul in Bengali.
Is manila tamarind related to tamarind?
No. Manila tamarind, or jungle jalebi, is a different tree whose sweet white pulp is eaten raw. Tamarind is the brown, sour cooking pulp, with 288 kcal and 9.16 mg iron per 100 g in IFCT 2017.
Related foods and tables
Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Lemon (juice)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jaggery
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dates
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.