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About Mauritian Food
One of the great Creole cuisines, Mauritian food is a combination of native African, French, Chinese and Indian, with many dishes created that are unique to the island of Mauritius. Indian curries, breads and pickles are cooked alongside slow-braised European daubes and stir-fried noodles from China, all using locally available ingredients.
The most common ingredients used in Mauritian recipes are tomatoes, onions, garlic and chillies, which cook up with a couple of spices into a delicious fresh tasting sauce used every day called a rougaille. Vegetables, meats and seafood can be cooked in the rougaille and eaten with achards (pickles) and dhal or rice. Spices are also a big part of Mauritian cuisine with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves used liberally.
There are some dishes that seem to be made for a nation that has better things to do than cooking and vindaye is one of them. It is fried fish or octopus preserved in a combination of mustard seeds, chilli, garlic, oil and vinegar. It was created before refrigeration but even now that whitegoods are everywhere, it’s an easy and delicious protein hit that can be served hot or cold with rice, pickles and dhal.
While the Indian population has had a huge influence on the cuisine, Mauritian curries are unique. They rarely contain coconut milk and interestingly, also often feature what are more typically known as European herbs, like thyme. Often curries feature more unusual meats and seafood like octopus or duck, along with the meat and vegetable varieties.
Everyone loves the readily available delicious street food of Mauritius, which includes falafel-like spiced, fried split pea cakes called gateaux piment. The other big favourites are dholl puris - flat bread with a thin layer of yellow split peas which is then rolled up with a variety of pickles, cooked vegetables and chutneys.
Desserts range from elaborate French-influenced tarts filled with bananas, almonds or pastry creams to impossibly pink cute raspberry shortbreads sandwiched with jam called napolitaines. And of course there is abundant tropical fruit to finish a meal.
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Hot Tips
Choosing and prepping asparagus
Choose asparagus with tight, well-formed heads and avoid any with thin woody, dry and dirty stems. Snap off the woody end of the asparagus by holding the spear in the middle and bend the bottom until it finds its natural snapping point. Discard the woody ends, or use in a stock.
Glossary
Tahini
A paste or butter obtained from grinding sesame seeds. Used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, often to thicken hommos or other dips but also as a sweet filling in cakes and pastries.
