From The Straits Times    |

A bowl of oxtail soup – a hearty Malay classic – makes a wholesome and comforting meal. ASIAH ANWAR shares her family recipe.Recipe for Oxtail soup

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS

For The Spice Bag
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp aniseed

Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp salt
6 litres water
500g oxtail, cut into pieces
1 large onion, cut into four pieces
1 piece 1cm-long ginger, crushed
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 potatoes, cut into four pieces each
1 carrot, cut into wedges
1 radish, cut into wedges
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 stalks spring onion, chopped
10 shallots, sliced and fried

DIRECTIONS
1. Pound all the ingredients for the spice bag together and place them in a disposable soup pouch or a small muslin bag. Set aside.
2. Add the lemon juice and salt to 4 litres of water. Wash the oxtail in this lemon-salt mixture to remove the odour. Rinse and drain.
3. Cook the oxtail in 2 litres of water for 1 to 2 hours, over low heat, until tender.
4. Add the spice bag into the oxtail soup. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil.
5. Add the potatoes, carrots and radish. Cook for 20min until tender.
6. Add the salt and pepper. Simmer for another 10min.
7. Top the oxtail soup with spring onions and fried shallots before serving.

This article was originally published in Simply Her Jan 2012.