Oxtail Kalya Curry with Potatoes and Eggs |

Name: Oxtail Kalya Curry with Potatoes and Eggs
Prep time: 3 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 5 h
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 3.3 lb – 1.5 kg oxtail; 2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic; 1 cup plain yogurt; 2 medium onions, finely sliced; 15 oz – 1 x 425 g tin tomato purée; 2 tbsp vinegar; 1 tsp whole jeera seeds; 1/2 tsp whole soomph seeds; 4 to 5 green chilies, slit; 1/4 tsp crushed saffron, soaked in a little warm water; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 3 to 4 tsp chili powder, depending on how much heat you like; 2 tsp dhunia and jeera powder, preferably freshly roasted and ground; 2 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 cup ghee or oil; 6 to 8 potatoes, or 4 if you prefer; 6 boiled eggs, or 4 if you prefer; 3 cinnamon sticks; 5 cloves; 6 peppercorns; 4 elachi; A handful of curry leaves; Chopped fresh dhania, for garnish; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; Cold water

Description

This rich, deeply flavoured oxtail curry is packed with warm spices, tender meat, creamy potatoes and boiled eggs that soak up all that gorgeous sauce. It takes a little patience, but the pressure cooker does most of the hard work and the result is well worth it.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3.3 lb - 1.5 kg oxtail
2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic
1 cup plain yogurt
2 medium onions, finely sliced
15 oz - 1 x 425 g tin tomato purée
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp whole jeera seeds
1/2 tsp whole soomph seeds
4 to 5 green chilies, slit
1/4 tsp crushed saffron, soaked in a little warm water
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 to 4 tsp chili powder, depending on how much heat you like
2 tsp dhunia and jeera powder, preferably freshly roasted and ground
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup ghee or oil
6 to 8 potatoes, or 4 if you prefer
6 boiled eggs, or 4 if you prefer
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
6 peppercorns
4 elachi
A handful of curry leaves
Chopped fresh dhania, for garnish

Optional for soaking the oxtail

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Cold water

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

If you have time, soak 1.5 kg oxtail in cold water with 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda for about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, rinse the oxtail very well and pat it completely dry. This step is optional, but it can help clean the meat before marinating.
Add 2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic to the oxtail and rub it in well.
Heat a little of the 1/2 cup ghee or oil in a pan over medium heat and cook 2 finely sliced medium onions until they’re a deep golden brown. Don’t rush this bit because the darker onions add loads of flavour. Remove the onions and drain them on paper towel, keeping the flavoured oil or ghee aside.
Press the fried onions through a wire sieve or crush them finely, then add them to the oxtail.
Dry roast 3 cinnamon sticks, 5 cloves, 6 peppercorns and 4 elachi in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Let them cool completely, then grind them into a powder. You can leave the spices whole if you prefer, but nobody enjoys biting into a whole clove halfway through dinner.
Add the ground spices to the oxtail along with 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 x 425 g tin tomato purée, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 4 to 5 slit green chilies, 3 to 4 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp dhunia and jeera powder, 1/4 tsp soaked saffron and 1 tsp turmeric powder.
Massage everything into the oxtail so the meat is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, although overnight is even better. If you’re marinating overnight, keep it properly covered and refrigerated.
When you’re ready to cook, heat the remaining ghee or oil in your pressure cooker and sauté the marinated oxtail for 1 to 2 minutes. Add all the remaining marinade to the cooker.
Seal the pressure cooker and cook the oxtail on high pressure for about 60 minutes. Let the pressure release according to your pressure cooker’s instructions before opening it. The oxtail should be very tender at this point. If it still feels firm, give it another 10 to 15 minutes under pressure rather than trying to hurry it along.
While the oxtail cooks, parboil 4 to 8 potatoes in salted water until they’re just tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. Drain them well and let them steam dry. If you want that lovely golden coating, sprinkle the potatoes lightly with egg yolk and fry them gently in a little ghee until lightly browned. This extra step isn’t essential, but it does help the potatoes stay intact.
Once the oxtail is tender, carefully arrange the potatoes over the meat. Spoon some of the curry sauce over the potatoes so they can take on that lovely flavour.
Cook on low pressure for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened. The exact time will depend on the size of your potatoes, so check them rather than relying only on the clock.
Peel 4 to 6 boiled eggs and place them gently into the curry. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, spooning some sauce over the eggs. If you’re worried about the eggs breaking, you can simply arrange them over the plated curry instead, which is what I did.
Taste the curry and adjust the salt or chili if needed. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes until it reaches the consistency you want.
Scatter with chopped fresh dhania and serve hot with rice, roti, naan or your favourite South African-style side dishes.