Tamarind can be bought dried, in which case it must be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then squeezed. Only the liquid is used. More commonly, it is purchased in bricks, made from the peeled, seeded pulp of the pods. A little is broken off as required. It is used very like lemon, or as a substitute for vinegar, in curries, chutneys, satays. It is a key ingredient of Angostura bitters and Worcestershire sauce.

A ton of recipes at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: tamarind recipes

Young leaves and very young seedlings and flowers are cooked and eaten as greens and in curries. Leaves can be added to soups and the flowers added to salads. Seeds can be roasted, soaked to remove the seedcoat, then boiled or fried or ground to a flour or starch. Roasted seeds are ground and used as a substitute for, or adulterant of, coffee A substanced called Jellose or Polyose is extracted from the seed. It has been found to be superior to fruit pectin in the manufacture of jellies, jams and marmalades. It can be used in fruit preserving with or without acids and gelatinises with sugar concentrates even in cold water or milk. It is used as a stabiliser in ice cream, mayonnaise and cheese and as an ingredient or agent in a number of pharmaceutical products. The sticky pulp inside the fruits is often eaten fresh but is also used in pickles, jams, chutneys, curries, confectionery, juice and drinks. It is a characteristic ingredient of Worcester Sauce. Sugared tamarind pulp is often prepared as a confection. For this purpose, it is desirable to separate the pulp from the seeds without using water. If ripe, fresh, undehydrated tamarinds are available, this may be done by pressing the shelled and defibtred fruits through a colander while adding powdered sugar to the point where the pulp no longer sticks to the fingers. The seeded pulp is then shaped into balls and coated with powdered sugar. If the tamarinds are dehydrated, it is less laborious to layer the shelled fruits with granulated sugar in a stone crock and bake in a moderately warm oven for about 4 hours until the sugar is melted, then the mass is rubbed through a sieve, mixed with sugar to a stiff paste and formed into patties. The simplest home method of preparing the ade is to shell the fruits, place 3 or 4 in a bottle of water, let stand for a short time, add a tablespoonful of sugar and shake vigorously. For a richer beverage, a quantity of shelled tamarinds may be covered with a hot sugar syrup and allowed to stand several days (with or without the addition of seasonings such as cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, pepper or lime slices) and finally diluted as desired with ice water and strained.

Medicinal Uses: Fruit and leaves are used for complaints such as intestinal ailments and skin infections. It is a common ingredient in cardiac and blood sugar reducing medicines. The fruit pulp is effective as a digestive and as a remedy for biliousness. The pulp is applied to inflammations and is used as a gargle for sore throat. Mixed with salt, is is used as a limiment for rheumatism. It can also be administered to alleviate sunstroke, Datura poisoning and alcoholic intoxication. The pulp is said to aid the restoration of sensation in cases of paralysis. Tamarind leaves and flowers, dried or boiled, are used as poultices for swollen joints, sprains and boils. Lotions and extracts made from them are used in treating conjunctivitis, as antiseptics, as vermifuges, treatments for dysentery, jaundice, erysipelas and hemorrhoids and various other ailments. The bark of the tree is regarded as an effective astringent, tonic and febrifuge. Fried with salt and pulverised to an ash, it is given as a remedy for indigestion and colic. A decoction is used in cases of gingivitis and asthma and eye inflammations. Lotions and poultices made from the bark are applied on open sores and caterpillar rashes. The powdered seeds are made into a paste for drawing boils and are prescribed for chronic diarrhea and dysentery. An infusion of the roots is believed to have curative value in chest complaints and is an ingredient in prescriptions for leprosy. The pulp is high in potassium, phosphorus and calcium. It also contains iron and is a good source of the vitamins thiamin and niacin. The leaves contain vitamin C and beta carotene and the seed protein has a highly favourable amino acid content.

Here is a recipe I've made and liked. Although, I've never had every single ingredient in my cupboard.

Cauliflower in a Hot and Sour Sauce (from Vegetarian Indian, Shehzad Husain

6 oz red tamarind paste
1 1/4 cups hot water
4-5 tbl oil
1 tsp mixed onion seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds
5 curry leaves (I substitute bay leaves, can't find curry)
2 onions, diced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ginger pulp
1/2 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp chile powder
1 1/4 cups water
1tsp salt
1 cauliflower, cut into flowerets
4 red chiles, sliced
2 tbl cilantro

Break the tamrind paste down and soak it in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. Squeeze the water from the tamarind and push the pulp through a strainer. Once all the pulp has been extracted, set aside in a bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy bottom saucepan, add the mixed seeds, curry leaves and onions and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ginger, garlic, chile powder, water and salt and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the tamarind pulp, cauliflower, chiles and cilantro and mix all the ingredients well. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Uncover the pan and stir fry the cauliflower in its sauce for 2 minutes before serving.