Oxtail Kadai

A recipe based on Shinwari Dumba Kadai

• CuisinePakistani
• CategoryLamb
• CourseMain

Ingredients

• 800 gmsOxtail pieces
• 600 gmsTomatoes
• 50 gmsGinger, cut into straws
• 50 gmsGarlic, chopped fine
• 4Green chillies, sliced
• 2 tspChilli powder
• 1 tspTurmeric
• 1 tspPepper powder
• 1 tspGaram masala
• 1 tspCumin powder
• 3 tbspYoghurt, beaten
• ½ cupCoriander, chopped
• Ghee
• Salt

Preparation

1. Blanch tomatoes by plunging into boiling water for 2 minutes and then into ice water
2. Peel off skin and cut into quarters
3. In a pot, heat ghee and brown oxtail pieces
4. Add tomatoes and stir
5. Add 500 ml water and simmer for 2 hours, covered or place in oven at 160°C for 2 hours
6. In a wok, heat 2 tbsp of ghee and add ginger straws, green chillies, garlic, reserving some ginger and green chillies for garnish
7. Add cooked oxtail and tomatoes reserving all the liquid, saute
8. Add chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala, cumin powder, salt and stir
9. Once fried, add reserved liquid in small quantities till all liquid is used up
10. Add beaten yoghurt, stir and simmer
11. Garnish with reserved ginger, green chillies and add chopped coriander

The traditional dish Shinwari Dumba Kadai is made in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan by the Shinwari tribe. They use a local breed of goat that accumulates large amounts of fat on their tails - hence the word dumba. Like most kadai dishes, it depends on the copious amounts of rendered fat to give the dish its unique taste.

I have made two substitutions. I replaced the local fatty goat tails with oxtail. This cut, when cooked, will release an unexpected amount of fat, making it ideal for this dish. There is enough bone to provide the dish a good flavour. Oxtail takes a lot of braising to cook. So after browning the meat and adding tomatoes, I put it in a covered pot in an oven. Traditionally, a simple cover on the kadai is used to do this. Also, instead of a kadai, I have used a wok to cook it.