Enjoying Mauritian beef and potato curry with faratas in Belfast

I stayed with Northern Irish friends Liz and Norman Coates in Belfast during my recent holidays in Europe. Norman being keen on the spicy side of Mauritian cuisine talked me into showing him the preparation of a beef and potato curry to be eaten with faratas.

We shared the curry and faratas with Liz’s mum who is in her 80’s but more like in her early 70’s. They (Coates and Chapman) had never tasted this very popular Mauritian food and liked it so much that they had multiple serves. Norman told me that this was something that he will cook again.

Mauritian foods are very much appreciated by people from all over the world. I have been told by the owner of the Jasmin Indian Restaurant in Adelaide that Mauritian curries are very much more subtle that the traditional Indian curry. This is very true as there has been a convergence of the multicultural cuisines in Mauritius for some two centuries, leading to Mauritian curries being more acceptable to the uninitiated curry eaters.

You can find Madeleine Philippe’s Mauritian recipes at http://ile-maurice.tripod.com

I have also started with the compilation of Madeleine’s passion about Mauritian cuisine into the “Taste of Mauritius” book. This book will pass on to you very much of Madeleine’s concept of what Mauritian Cuisine is all about and how best to enjoy and share this wonderful cuisine with loved ones and others. I will keep you posted on this with regular updates, including excerpts from the book.

I regularly receive emails about Madeleine and her surviving passion for Mauritian Cuisine, with many telling me that she lives on through her cuisine and very popular recipes.

Quote from a recent email that I received: “I am a British born Mauritian, living in Ascot, Berkshire, England. I have often looked up Mauritian recipes on Madeleine’s web site and have not done so for a long time. I was very sad to read of your loss, but wanted you to know that these numerous recipes encouraged me to try cooking new things and it’s such a lovely and well written website. 

I hope you find some comfort in knowing how your lovely wife’s passion for Mauritian Cuisine lives on and still gives great pleasure to many people. Especially my elderly Mauritian parents who are amazed at their British born, daughter’s cooking abilities.”

Bon Appetit

Mauritian style fried noodles in Springvale

Letting you know a little known secret.

Want to eat a mines frire Mauricien!!!!

You can have one on the menu at Hoa Tran Vietnamese and Chinese Restaurant in Springvale, Melbourne. The restaurant is located behind the new complex in Buckingham Avenue. Taste very nice and a huge serving. Listed No 180 on the menu.

Springvale Pork Rolls - Good value for money & absolutely delicious

The Vietnamese pork rolls have had a chequered history. The spates of poisoning in the past arising from the consumption of these rolls created much publicity. Since then, the Greater Dandenong Council have increased vigilance of food safety and undertaken compulsory food handling programs in Springvale. These pork rolls are now much better both in quality and value for money.

At any point in time, especially during lunch time one has to join a queue before being served. I have personally enjoyed those delicious pork rolls on many occasions and can tell you that they are very nice and somewhat addictive.

You have multiple choices about the goodness that you can include. Chopped red chillies can also be added and if you overdo the chillies, it will give you a real thump. Real value for money at $4.00 each & really convenient for a quick bite on the run. Enjoy.

Original Puits d"Amour Cake

Original Puits d'Amour Cakes

The first recipe of the Puits d’Amour was from Vincent De La Chapelle in his 18^th century cookbook “Modern Cook” in 1735. The original puits d’amour consisted of a vol au vent in puff pastry filled with red fruit jelly.

King Louis XV served these puits d’amour cakes that allegedly represented “the real puits d’amour” (well of love) during his intimate dinners with favourite guests. This erotic representation caused a scandal and to ease off the situation, the red jelly was replaced with crème pâtissière to make the cake more acceptable. This crème pâtissière also has a caramelised topping.

These days many variants of the puits d’amour cake exist. The most famous being the one produced by the STOHRER - PÂTISSIER TRAITEUR in rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris.

Daube de boeuf avec pommes de terre

This very popular Mauritian dish originated from the classic Daube de Provence in France. French settlers in Mauritius brought this very delicious dish with them. Over time this has been adapted for use almost exclusively over rice, though in Provence this dish is also served on occasions with rice or mashed potatoes. The Provence version contains an assortment of vegetables that turns the dish into a complete meal by itself.

This Mauritian version has the potatoes cooked with the beef. It is prepared as per the original recipe in that the cubed beef is allowed to marinate in dry sherry, crushed garlic, chopped parsley and finely chopped onions. The Mauritian touch is that the sauce is enriched with finely crushed tomatoes and the red wine added during the later stages. The beef cubes are also partly precooked with crushed garlic and finely chopped onions. The cubed potatoes are added to the simmering sauce just before the beef is thoroughly cooked in, so that the cubed potatoes are thoroughly cooked with the beef cubes.In Mauritius, this dish is cooked in the normal casserole whereby in Provence, it is traditionally cooked in a special pot called a daubière.  

This dish is steeped in traditions. In the Camargue and Béarn area of France, bulls killed in bullfighting festivals are often used for the daube.This old recipe is unfortunately not so popular these days because, most people are not fully aware of the need to marinate the beef before it can develop the aromatic flavours of the dry sherry, onions, garlic and herbs used. Fast cuisine is not necessarily conducive to good Mauritian French cuisine.

Try this dish. You’ll find it very rewarding.

Mauritian Foods in Dandenong, Vic, Australia

Green Coriander Cafe, Hub Arcade, Walker Street, Dandenong (near Dandenong Plaza), Vic, Australia

66 Hemmings Street, Dandenong, Vic, Australia

Mauritian dishes, including dal pouris and faratas can be purchased from Mauritian Food at 66 Hemmings Street in Dandenong. They also sell other Mauritian goodies such as achards and crushed chillies. This shop is run by the very popular Dario Lahausse.

Similarly, Nitin Patrichot runs the Green Coriander Cafe in the Walker Street Hub Arcade in Dandenong (near Dandenong Plaza), where you can also purchase a variety of Mauritian dishes such as vindaye ourite plus other Mauritian goodies. The latter establishment also has a very nice restaurant setting where you can enjoy these Mauritian dishes.

Their Mauritian foods will bring to you this special Mauritian taste. Next time you want to enjoy Mauritian foods at home without the trouble to cook, just drop in and order some takeaways. Their prices are reasonable. In order to keep them going and offer more Mauritian foods at very competitive prices, drop in and support them. Tell them that you read about their establishments from the Mauritius Australia Connection-Caripoule Mauritian Food Blog and they may give you a discount.

Bon Appetit.

Influence of Italian Cuisine in Mauritius - Lasagna

Mauritian Cuisine has been well and truly an international cuisine since the times of settlement in Mauritius. It has undergone a subtle blending and "raprochement"  between its component cuisine cultures. For example, its curries are definitely less spicy pungent than the Indian ones. I remember talking to the Jasmin Restaurant owner in Adelaide many years ago. He was looking for a Mauritian Chef & I asked him why. He responded by saying that the Mauritian Indian Cuisine is more accepted by Europeans because of its subtle blend of Creole & Indian cuisines in its curries. Namely, the use of tomato rougaille influenced style sauce in its curries.

Italian families did in fact settle in Mauritius. Family names such as Luciani, Cavallo & Cimiotti have Italian connections. The current baby boomers' generation remembers well the famous "Plat de Macaroni" that used to be the special treat for special occasions like the New Year. In Mauritius today, Italian restaurants such as Luigi's Italian Pizzeria & Pasta Bar in Grand Baie are very popular.

The lasagna cooked by Mauritians now includes the incorporation of chilli and other herbs into the sauce to give it that special Mauritian Creole flavour. Traditionally, in Northern Italy, the lasagna includes the use of a Bechamel sauce to finish off the lasagna whilst in Southern Italy only a tomato sauce is used with greater use of cheeses like the mozzarella cheese. Another theory is that the name lasagna for the lasagna dish originated from Greece,comes from the Greek λάσανα (lasana) or λάσανον (lasanon) meaning "trivet or stand for a pot". In fact, a Greek colleague of mine told me that the Greek lasagna does not use a Bechamel sauce, in line with the Southern Italian preference. In fact, Southern Italy was part of Greece in ancient history and that would explain the non use of the Bechamel sauce in the Greek lasagna..

Anyhow, you can enjoy this lasagna by trying the recipe at http://ile-maurice.tripod.com/lasagnamau.htm