Native to Africa and common in tropical regions across Asia, tamarind lends an unmistakable sour-sweet taste to everything from stir-fries to candy—and it's what gives this chicken its sticky, glossy quality and its unmistakable flavor. Tamarind is commonly sold as blocks of pulp or in jars of concentrate. This recipe calls for the latter, which is thin and seedless, but if you can find only the pulp, cook it down with equal parts water for 10–15 minutes until it’s the texture of caramel, then strain out the seeds. Brush any leftover tamarind onto whole fish before roasting, or lacquer it onto bone-in pork chops. One commonly available brand is Swad, which you can find at South Asian and West Indian grocery stores, Whole Foods, or on Amazon. This recipe is part of the 2021 Feel Good Food Plan, our eight-day dinner plan for starting the year off right.
