Spice up your life at Ile Maurice... the Paradise Island!

      

As colorful as the sarees, churidars and bangles worn by the women of Mauritius is their rich culture and heritage.

Religion? A vibrant mix of Hindus, Tamils, Muslims and Christians. 

Language? There is mainly Creole, Hindi, Bhojpurri, and English.

Cuisine? A tantalizing combination of dishes from different nations- From fried noodles (Mauritian specialty), dumplings, curry, sachini, bouillon, pomme frite and gateaux branzelle it goes on and on and on... Cannot enumerate everything or else I will relive the taste and my mouth will start watering... my stomach will start grumbling.... and then... Okay stop it! Let's continue... 

Everywhere you go, your eyes will be drawn into that something uniquely different in this island- and that is not just their colorful culture as I have described above or the untamed beauty of Mauritius' landscape .... I guess it is the feeling that despite of the visible differences in culture and ethnicity they all seem to be working out fine. And thus, I feel at peace when I am here. I feel as if I am in PARADISE.

I tried my best to capture the beauty that I saw in Mauritius, put it in my hard drive and print it so once in a while I will be reminded of the things, the feelings and the experiences that captured my heart while I was here. But alas, these pictures do not give enough justice. You must come here and experience it for yourself. 

Picnic under the trees would be a nice idea, isn't it?

View from Casela's Safari Adventure.

Chamarel Falls.

Chamarel's Seven-colored earth.

Isle Aux Cerfs (Island of Deers)

Belle Mare Beach.

Cascade (waterfall) at Grand River South East.

Can you see the rainbow?

Aside from making your eyes full with the beauty of Mauritius let me make your stomach full with Mauritian cuisine. Why not try some of the age-old recipes that exist in their day-to-day life? This way, you will feel as if you have been here yourself. Believe me, they are really mouth-watering.. and as I have mentioned above these dishes are influenced by a blend of Chinese, French and Indian cuisine.. It is indeed an array of flavors with only one thing predominant in almost all of them... 

Guess what it is?? 

CHILI.

But not to worry, Mauritians are kind enough to adjust according to your heat preference- may it be mild, moderate or very spicy. Just tell them in advance and they will do something for you.

Now, here is a brief overview of what Mauritian cuisine has in store for you.. But warning guys, only one month in this island and my pants no longer fit!! haha Girls do not worry it is okay to over-indulge sometimes!

SAMOSA IN THE MAKING..

Potato filling

Rolling out the dough

Dough rolled into very thin sheets, brushed with oil then pan-fried

Home-made samosas

SWEETS SOLD ON THE STREETS TO SATISFY YOUR CRAVINGS

Ladoo, Jollibee and other gateaux

TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST

Juice stalls with a variety of tropical fruits

Now try these recipes at the comfort of your own kitchen and let the taste and aroma transport you to the volcanic island nation, known for its white-sand beaches and mesmerizing  waterfalls.

SACHINI COCO "Coconut Chutney"

Ingredients:

Grated Coconut (1/4 of a whole)
Mint leaves (1 bunch)
Garlic Cloves (2 pcs)
Tamarind paste (1 tbsp)
Chili (2 pcs)
a bit of water for grinding

Procedure:

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste. Add salt accordingly. **But remember to add this only to the portion you will consume so the sachini won't spoil as fast.


ROUGAILLE SOYA 

This recipe is very special to me because it is my husband's favorite. Try this recipe at home guys! There is a reason why my husband loves it so much. You may also cook different rougaille varieties by changing the main ingredient- instead of putting soya try to mix in peas or tofu for vegetarians or seafood for non-veg. Use your creative juices and let your taste decide!

Ingredients:

Water
Salt
Soya
Oil
Onion, brunoise
Garlic, brunoise
Tomatoes, big cubes or wedges
Curry leaves
Thyme leaves
Chili

Procedure:

- Boil soya in water with a bit of salt until it is tender and cooked. Drain out.
- Heat up oil in the pan. Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute. Add thyme, curry leaves and chili.
-Add tomatoes and cook until it is very soft, almost like a paste. Once in a while, add a bit of water if needed.
- Put in cooked soya and simmer for a little bit. Remove curry leaf.
-Season with salt according to taste.
- Serve hot.


Well... I hope you enjoyed your brief trip to Mauritius. Hope to see you there next time!!