By SBS 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 are cooked with spices into a delicious fresh tasting sauce known as rougaille that is widely used. 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.
Another common dish is vindaye, a dish of fried fish or octopus that is preserved in a combination of mustard seeds, chilli, garlic, oil and vinegar. It was created before refrigeration but even now that whitegoods are widely available it’s still highly popular as 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, such as thyme. Curries also often feature more unusual meats and seafood like octopus or duck, along with the more typical 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, a flatbread spread with a thin layer of yellow split peas, which are then rolled up with a variety of pickles, cooked vegetables and chutneys.
Desserts range from elaborate French-influenced tarts filled with banana, almonds or pastry creams to cute pink raspberry shortbreads sandwiched with jam called napolitaines. And, of course, there is also abundant tropical fruit to finish a meal.
View the SBS Mauritian recipe collection here.