An Anglo-Indian Oxtail Vindaloo
Karen Martin’s family recipe uses oxtail, a much-loved offal, in their rendition of the vindaloo.
The oxtail vindaloo takes me back to my childhood. I remember my grandmother checking the tenderness of the oxtail and the aromas of frying spices wafting from the kitchen. Growing up, I would crave vindaloo curry for its spicy, sweet and tangy flavours.
The vindaloo as a dish has an interesting history. Portuguese sailors brought the dish to India, and it was later adapted by the British in the 18th century. The word vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese word ‘vinha de alos’ (vinha meaning wine/ wine vinegar and alos meaning garlic). The dish today is shared by the Christian Goan community and the Anglo Indian community. The base of the vindaloo is wine or vinegar but today, most Anglo Indian homes use a combination of vinegar, sugar, chillies, garlic and country tomatoes for tanginess.
Vindaloo is usually made with meat — beef, oxtail, pork or mutton, while some households also use seer fish, crab or prawn. Oxtail is an offal, usually referring to the tail of cattle, and is a gelatin-rich meat with deep rich flavour, typically slow-cooked in a stew or braise.
At a time when slow-cooking was the norm, the vindaloo was a staple in every Anglo-Indian household. It takes at least an hour to cook, and the dish to obtain its thick stew-like consistency.
RECIPE FOR OXTAIL VINDALOO
Ingredients
1 kg tender beef oxtail
4 tbsp oil
6 country tomatoes
4 onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garam masala
1⁄2 tsp cumin powder
1⁄4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1⁄2 tsp black pepper powder
4 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the oxtail well and let it drain.
Add the tomatoes in a blender along with chilli powder, salt, sugar and vinegar. Blend till smooth.
Add oil in a pressure cooker, add the onions and fry till translucent and aromatic. Add ginger and garlic paste, and fry till the raw smell goes away. Add turmeric, garam masala, black pepper powder and cumin powder. Fry till fragrant, and pour in the blended tomato mix.
Fry the mix till the oil separates and drop in the drained oxtail. Fry till the oxtail absorbs the flavours of the masala.
Add warm water till the oxtail is covered and pressure cook for 25 whistles or till the oxtail falls off the bone.
Reduce the gravy till it forms a thick consistency and serve with hot rice or dinner rolls.
Banner image: Taste.com
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