The Caribbean's tropical climate is ideal for growing tamarind, or tambran as it is colloquially called in Trinidad. Often thought of as a native Indian fruit, tamarind is actually indigenous to Africa but was likely brought to India via trade routes millennia ago. Once transplanted to the subcontinent, tamarind quickly became a staple of Indian cooking and is used in sauces, drinks, desserts and stews. It came to South America and the Caribbean with European colonizers in the 16th century, so was already on the scene when indentured East Indians arrived in the West Indies.
1 ¼ pounds firm whitefish fillets, such as tilapia or snapper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons safflower oil, divided
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 small Scotch bonnet chile pepper (see Tip) or other hot pepper, such as serrano
1 cinnamon stick
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh culantro (see Tip) or cilantro
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