Ingredients:

1. 1 kg ox tail-cut into serve pieces,

2. 1 medium size onion,

3. 1 cup red wine,

4. 1 cup water,

5. 450 grams finely chopped canned tomatoes,

6. 1 teaspoon fennel seeds,

7. 2 bay (kaffir lime) leaves,

8. 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves,

9. 1 tablespoon finely crushed garlic (two cloves),

10. 5-6 medium carrots,

11. 1 tablespoon corn flour,

12. optional-2 sliced red chillies,

13. 4 tablespoons vegetable oil,

14. salt and pepper to taste. 

Method: 

1. With a sharp knife, remove all fatty bits from the ox tail pieces. Set aside.

2. Finely chop the parsley and set aside. Finely crush the garlic cloves and set aside. With a potato peeler, peel the carrots. Cut off the end bits and cut into bite pieces or to your preference. Fine chop the onion and set aside.

3. In a saucepan with a heavy base large enough to contain all the ingredients, heat up 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Put in some of the ox tail pieces and fry on all sides until golden brown. Remove and place on an oven grill in a tray, to drain the oil from the browned ox tail pieces. Repeat with the remaining ox tail pieces.

4. Drain the oil from the saucepan, except for two tablespoons. Heat on medium to high until the oil starts simmering. Fry the finely chopped onion until it starts to caramelise, but not burning. Reduce heat to low. Add the red wine, water, finely crushed garlic, fennel seeds, finely chopped tomatoes, optional-sliced red chillies, carrot pieces, finely chopped parsley and bay or kaffir lime leaves. Mix well together. Add the browned ox tail pieces. Gently mix well together. Cover the saucepan.

5. Over low heat, allow the ox tail pieces to simmer with the red wine and other ingredients for 2-3 hours. If you have a slow cooker, use it as this enables you to control the cooking better. Check at regular intervals to ensure that the sauce and ox tail pieces do not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Carefully move the ingredients around to ensure even cooking. This is very necessary if you are using a saucepan. Watch the progress at close intervals. Using a slow cooker will give you better results.

6. If the sauce dries up, add a little hot water or red wine to prevent the ingredients from burning. Test the ox tail pieces to ensure that these are thoroughly cooked and tender, falling off the bone. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix well together.

7. If the sauce is too liquid, dissolve one teaspoon of corn flour in a little cold water. Add to the ingredients and gently mix well together. Allow to simmer and the sauce to thicken. Use some more corn flour in a little cold water, if the sauce does not thicken up. Be very careful however. Too much corn flour will thicken the sauce too much.

8. Transfer to a warm serving dish and decorate with finely chopped parsley.

9. Enjoy with rice or bread. A tomato chutney with chillies goes really well when this dish is eaten with rice.

10. Enjoy.