Oxtail Curry

Oxtail curry is a spicy preparation of oxtails and assorted spices. The dish is not very popular in India, the land of curries, simply because the main ingredient is considered to be taboo among most communities residing in the country. Oxtail Vindaloo is one of the rare dishes that can be traced to India. It is considered to be of Anglo Indian origin. The dish is also cooked in certain areas of Goa but remains unheard of elsewhere in the country.

The curried form of oxtail is, nevertheless, highly popular in Thailand and Indonesia with the Filipino cuisine having its own version of the curry as well. The people of Indian origin inhabiting the Caribbean islands as well as those living in South Africa have also popularized the dish which is now known as a delicacy. Several Indian chefs have created fusion dishes featuring the oxtail and Indian spices which are available in various restaurants of USA and UK now.

Overview of Oxtail Curry Recipes

Oxtail is usually cut into sections and boiled separately before being fried with onions, ginger and garlic. Potatoes and carrots are occasionally added to the ingredients as well which are then coated with  curry paste and garam masala powder. The entire dish is cooked over low flame and can also be cooked in a crockpot. Baking the oxtails in a casserole is another method of preparing the dish where the gravy is cooked separately and ladled over the oxtail pieces just before being served.

Oxtail Curry Variations

Popular forms of curried oxtail recipes include:-

• Massaman Oxtail Curry- This is a traditional Thai dish prepared with Massaman curry paste made by grinding cumin, cinnamom, cardamom and cloves. Palm sugar is also used to impart a sweetish taste to the curry. It is garnished with basil leaves before serving.
   
• Kare Kare- This is a Filipino dish consisting of oxtail and peanuts stewed together with spices and vegetables which include carrots, Japanese eggplants, and banana hearts. It is served with rice and bagoong, a fermented shrimp paste.
   
• Jamaican Oxtail Stew- This is a form of curry where cornflour coated, fried oxtail pieces are cooked with carrots, bacon, onions, garlic, and tomato along with chilies and Indian spices.
   
• Curried Oxtail Soup- This is a fusion dish that makes use of curry powder to flavor the traditional form of soup.

Trivia

Durban roti, a form of stuffed flat bread, is sold with oxtail curry filling in Cape Town.