The sapphire waters and powder-white beaches of Mauritius feel a very long way away right now, I know, but the particular power of people, food, recipes and stories can transport us there, at least in our imaginations. I may not be making it to Mauritius any time soon, but I am lucky that a ray of Mauritian sunshine recently joined my test kitchen team in the form of Chaya Pugh. She arrives every day with a flower tucked behind her ear (quite often literally), a seemingly endless array of bright leggings and a love of colourful, spicy, tropical flavours.
Mauritian food takes inspiration from every corner of the world, because of all the different peoples who settled on the island and who brought their native dishes with them. The cuisine is an easy marriage between Creole, Indian, south Indian, African, Chinese, Arabic, Caribbean and even South American. That’s a lot of people and a lot of food, recipes and stories. The result is uniquely, deliciously Mauritian. Transport yourself …
Salt fish fried rice (pictured above)
“Waste not, want not” is a strong philosophy in the Mauritian kitchen. Nothing goes to waste, not even the last bits of sauce stuck to a pan. This is a case in point: so delicious is what’s cooking in the pan that, after the last helping has been scooped out, the pan is reused straight away to reheat leftover cooked white rice. The result is salt cod-flavoured rice with wonderful crisp bits of leftover tomato sauce. This recipe is based on the traditional rougailles poisson salé, or salt cod in tomato sauce, with a few little twists.
Prep 15 min
Cure 1 hr
Cook 35 min
Serves 2
For the cured fish
240g cod loin, cut into 1cm-wide slices
2 tbsp salt
For the rice
100g basmati rice, washed in cold water until the water runs clear (alternatively, use leftover or ready-cooked rice, in which case you will need 300g)
90ml olive oil
1-2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced (200g)
4 garlic cloves (15g), peeled and thinly sliced
15g knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
60g tomato paste
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground cardamom (or 3 pods, seeds finely crushed)
4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (90g)
130g frozen peas, defrosted
For the coconut and lime sambal
3 tbsp olive oil
25g desiccated coconut
1-2 limes – finely zested, to get 1 tsp, and juiced, to get 2 tbsp
1 small green chilli, pith and seeds removed if you prefer less heat
25g coriander – 1½-2 tbsp (5g) leaves picked and set aside, the rest roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
50ml full-fat coconut milk (ie, at least 70% coconut extract)
Mix the cod slices and salt in a non-reactive container or bowl, then set aside at room temperature for an hour, to cure.
Meanwhile, bring 1.2 litres water to a boil in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, then add the rice and leave to cook for 10 minutes, until cooked, but not too soft. Drain, then rinse and cool thoroughly under cold water, set the sieve over a bowl and refrigerate while you get on with the rest of the dish, or even overnight – this will help dry out the rice, so making it firmer for stir-frying.
Put the olive oil in a medium saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, cumin seeds and ground cardamom, and cook for another three minutes.
Wash the cod thoroughly under cold running water, pat dry, then add to the pan. Fry for another three minutes, stirring gently once or twice and avoiding breaking it up too much. Increase the heat to high, add the rice and stirring gently until well coated in the tomato and onion mixture. Continue frying for five minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent the rice from burning but letting it catch and crisp up at the base. Stir in the spring onions and peas, cook for another minute and set aside.
For the sambal, put the oil and coconut in a small frying pan, place on a medium-high heat and fry for two minutes until golden. Tip into the bowl of a food processor, add the lime zest and juice, the chilli, chopped coriander and half a teaspoon of salt, and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Divide the rice mix between two bowls and top with the sambal. Finish with the coriander leaves and a drizzle of coconut milk, and serve.
Kalia poule
Poule is Mauritian Creole for chicken, and this dish is often used as the base for a Mauritian-style biryani. It has such a distinctive aroma that native Mauritians can smell it cooking from a mile away, which often leads to neighbours popping by for a “chat” and staying over for lunch. Kalia poule is often served at weekends and on special occasions. I have used red potatoes, but you can use any non-waxy potatoes.
Prep 20 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
40g piece fresh ginger, skin and all
40g garlic (about 12 cloves), peeled
30g mint leaves
8 tbsp (30g) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 large green chillies, stems removed
150g Greek-style yoghurt
2-3 lemons – 1 finely zested, to get 2 tsp, and all 3 juiced, to get 75ml juice (1 tbsp to use in the yoghurt)
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt
7 cardamom pods
9 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
500g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm cubes
60ml olive oil
500g onions (about 3 medium ones), peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
500ml sunflower oil
500g red potatoes (or any other non-waxy variety), cut into 1½cm cubes
For the mint yoghurt
30g mint leaves
150g Greek-style yoghurt
In a food processor, blitz the ginger, garlic, mint, coriander, chillies, yoghurt, lemon zest and four tablespoons of the lemon juice until smooth. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander and black pepper, half a tablespoon of salt and 300ml water, and mix well. Stir in the cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon, then scrape out into a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl, toss to coat and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate and marinate overnight).
Meanwhile, set a large saucepan for which you have a lid on a medium heat, add the oil and, once hot, add the onions, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, and fry for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer half the onion mix to a small bowl and set aside.
Put the chicken and its marinade in the pan with the remaining onions, cover the pot and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, make the mint yoghurt. Blitz the mint, yoghurt, the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt until smooth, then scrape out into a small bowl and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the sunflower oil on a medium heat and, once hot, fry the potatoes, turning regularly, for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked potatoes to a large plate lined with kitchen paper, to drain, season with a teaspoon of salt and set aside.
Divide the chicken mixture between four bowls, top with the onions and fried potatoes, finish with a spoonful of mint yoghurt and serve.
Galette manioc with mango salsa
Cassava roots are known all over the world by different names, and in Mauritius they are called manioc. This recipe is a traditional dish that’s often eaten for breakfast or for afternoon tea. If you have any cassava left over, they are delicious peeled, boiled and mashed with butter and herbs.
[NB: Some varieties of cassava can be toxic if not prepared correctly. Please use sweet, cultivated cassava, and follow the preparation instructions carefully. If in doubt, the cassava can be soaked in water (preferably overnight) and the water discarded before preparation.]
Prep 20 min
Cook 15 min
Makes 12, to serve 6
For the mango salsa
1 large ripe mango (250g), peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
6-7 tbsp (10g) finely chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp maple syrup
1-2 limes – finely zested, to get 2 tsp (to use in the yoghurt), and juiced, to get 2 tbsp
1 pinch flaked sea salt
For the galettes
1 large cassava (650g), peeled and finely grated (575g)
150g caster sugar
100g desiccated coconut
½ tsp flaked sea salt
120g coconut oil, for frying
For the lime yoghurt
180g unsweetened coconut yoghurt (at least 70% coconut)
1 tbsp maple syrup
In a medium bowl, mix all the mango salsa ingredients and set aside.
In a second bowl, mix the coconut yoghurt and lime zest, then swirl in the maple syrup and set aside.
Squeeze the liquid out of the cassava so you end up with 500g grated pulp and discard the liquid. Put the squeezed root in a bowl, add the sugar, desiccated coconut and salt, and mix well. Divide the mixture into 12 x 60g balls, and squeeze tight to compress.
Heat a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium-high heat, then add a third of the coconut oil and leave until melted and hot. Put a few cassava balls into the pan and use a tablespoon firmly to press them down into 7-8cm patties (do as many as will fit in the pan without touching). Cook for three minutes on each side, until golden brown and with a nice crust, then remove, keep warm and repeat with the remaining cassava balls and oil.
Serve the galettes warm topped with spoonfuls of the mango salsa and the coconut yoghurt.
