Our recipe for today is oxtail curry with rice and peas; this is a wonderful recipe to mae with the family this weekend. This is the cousin to our very own rice and beans with beef stew in Nigeria. We have taken a cue from our Caribbean brothers and sisters to bring you this delicacy. The tenderness of the oxtail is just to die for and the rich curry sauce is so flavourful.
Did you miss last week’s recipe? No worries! Make your Shredded Beef Sauce with Rice here.
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg oxtail
- 2 tbsps curry powder
- 7 pcs garlic cloves
- 4 tbsps vegetable oil
- 2 pcs onions
- 6 pcs rodo
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 pcs tomatoes
- 1 teaspoons thyme
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 3 pcs celery
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 pc green pepper
- 4 pcs seasoning cube
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup rice
- 1 tbsp butter
Method
- Trim as much fat as possible from the oxtail and clean. Put the meat into a large bowl and season with 2 bouillon cubes, black pepper, ketchup, curry and thyme. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
- Place a deep pot on medium heat and add in oil. Once it gets hot, pour in diced onions and crushed garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the onions and garlic have softened. Also add in the curry and stir.
- Add the oxtail into the pot, with very little water and stir all contents together. The meat will release its own juices. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, remembering to stir every now and then. Then remove the lid to allow the water in the pot dry up a bit.
- Pour water into the bowl you marinated the meat in and stir so the remaining seasoning dissolves or is taken up by the water. Then set aside.
- Pulse the tomato, rodo and green pepper in a blender and pour into the pot. Add in thyme, chopped celery, seasoning cube and about 3 cups of water into the pot. Allow to boil for a few minutes then turn down the heat to medium-low. Then cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 2 hours or until the oxtail is tender.
- To make the rice and peas – sauté onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 celery (chopped) and 2 rodos in a frying pan until soft. Then add in the kidney beans and salt. Allow to simmer for a while and start to boil the rice. Once the rice is quarter way done, pour out the water and add in enough fresh hot water. Add 2 stock cubes and salt into the rice with butter, reduce the heat and allow to boil for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for a while. Mix the rice and beans together and set aside.
- Remove the lid from the curry pot. You can choose to drain out the oil that has gathered at the top of the pot. Allow to cook for a while longer so some of the water evaporates and the sauce can become thicker. Taste the sauce to see if it requires more seasoning or salt, once you’re okay with the taste and the oxtail is tender, turn off the heat.
- Serve the oxtail with the rice and peas and salad of your choice.
