Flavourful, rich and fragrant, each spoonful of chef Timothy Sebastian’s sup ekor will leave you sighing in delight. (Tinagaren Ramkumar @ FMT Lifestyle)

It’s time to enjoy a lovely iftar meal. As you gather around the dining table with family or friends, why not start with a piping-hot bowl of sup ekor?

In the first out of four recipes in “Tim Cooks: Ramadan Edition”, veteran chef Timothy Sebastian, who has over two decades of experience, shares his recipe for an absolutely scrumptious oxtail soup.

Thick, bursting with flavours, and filled with tender, fall-off-the-bone meat, each sip of Chef Tim’s sup ekor will leave you wanting more. Time to start cooking!

Ingredients (serving: 200g meat / 450g soup)

2kg oxtail, fat removed, cut into pieces and washed
40g peeled ginger, cut small
100g peeled garlic
200ml water for blending ginger and garlic (A)
40ml corn oil
300g sliced red onions
2 pieces cinnamon sticks
4 pieces star anise
4 litres water (B)
2 pieces serai, sliced and bruised (crushed lightly by adding pressure)
2 pieces bay leaf
20g cumin powder
60g coriander powder
2g turmeric powder
40g meat curry powder
10g garam masala
10g tamarind slices (asam keping)
28g salt
10g chicken stock seasoning
10g crushed black pepper
40g fried shallots
30g tamarind (asam jawa)
120g water (C)
juice of 50g lime
20g chopped Chinese parsley
280g cubed carrots (1cm x 1cm)
280g cubed russet potatoes (1cm x 1cm)

Method

Blend the ginger and garlic with water (A) and set aside.
Remove the fat, trim and wash the oxtail before weighing.
Mix the tamarind with water (C), strain, and set aside.
Heat the corn oil in a stockpot. Add the sliced red onions, cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Sauté the onions until well caramelised.
Add the ginger and garlic paste. Sauté until the paste thickens up and smells sweet.
Now add the bay leaf, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, meat curry powder, garam masala, tamarind slices, salt, chicken stock seasoning, black pepper, fried shallots, tamarind water, lime juice, chopped Chinese parsley, bruised serai and water (B).
Now, add the star of the show – the oxtail!
Give it a mix and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the oxtail is tender.
As it simmers, remove the scum (foam or froth that floats on the surface of the soup).
Finally, add the carrots and potato cubes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Now your soup is ready!