A hearty bowl of Japanese Curry can really make your day better.
Don't trust me? Try it for yourself and see!
As it was nearing Raya (Eid al-Fitr) period, beef was sold out at the supermarket so I got creative and decided to use oxtail instead. Oxtail has been termed the "food for gods" due to its rich taste and silky texture. With such a name to live up to, you better put all the love and care into preparing this dish.
Japanese Oxtail Curry
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐
Serves: 2 pax
Cook & Prep Time: 3.5 hours
Ingredients:
700g oxtail (sliced like the ones I got or in larger chunks is fine)
1/2 box Japanese Curry Roux (I used Vermont Hot curry, but use whichever you prefer)
3 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
1-1.5 litres of water
A few tablespoons of oil
Note: I ran out of onions and was short on carrots and potatoes. Ideally, you'd also include 1 large brown onion and an extra carrot & potato.
Cooking Directions : 1. Soak the oxtail in cold water for at least 15 minutes to draw out the excess blood. Thoroughly wash the oxtail under running water and drain. Remove any excess fat if you prefer, I like to keep some on for flavour.
2. Wash, peel and cut the vegetables (potatoes & onions into large bite-sized pieces and the onion into thick slices).
3. Heat some oil in your pot over high heat. Add your oxtails in small batches and brown each side for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat if it gets too hot.
4. Add the oxtails back into the pot, alongside 500ml of water, curry roux and onion. Stir until incorporated over medium heat. Once boiling, close the lid and lower the heat to let it simmer.
5. Give it a stir every 30 minutes to prevent burning, adding water if it gets too dry. Scoop off any scum that forms on the surface.
6. After 2 hours of simmering, turn up the heat and add the potatoes & carrots. Once boiling, close the lid and lower the heat to let it simmer. Continue adding water and stirring it occasionally to prevent burning.
7. After another hour of simmering, check the doneness of the oxtail and vegetables. By now, they should be tender while retaining a bit of a bite.
Optional: Normally I'd prepare it during lunchtime if I plan to enjoy it for dinner. This way, the flavours have more time to develop. You can also leave it overnight but I'd suggest cooking the potatoes & carrots on the day itself for the best texture.
The dish came out really good! Think of it as an upgraded version of Japanese Beef Curry. The bone marrow from the oxtail adds so much richness to the curry - just make sure you prepare extra rice to savour all the goodness.
Till the next cook, stay safe & makan well!