No matter what ails you, Das Mootoosamy has the answer.
For four generations, he and his family have presided over a heaping mountain of fresh herbs piled in this Indian Ocean city’s main market, concocting secret herbal solutions for nearly any medical condition in existence.
Have high cholesterol? Arthritis? Migraines? Cellulite? Depression? A smiling Mootoosamy hands over a book of testimonials from satisfied customers, then disappears behind his vast herbal display, studded with hand-painted signs in French, to begin bag-ging a treatment.
Rich variety–and that laid-back smile–are the trademarks of tropical Mauritius and its steamy Port Louis market, where the island’s diverse cultures converge in fragrant and delicious chaos.
This remote island–best known as home to the now-extinct dodo bird–was uninhabited when it was first spotted by Arab explorers sailing near Madagascar in the 10th Century. A millennium later the dodos are gone but the 40-mile-long expanse of towering green mountains, white sand beaches and sugar cane fields east of Africa is home to one of the richest ethnic and culinary mixes on earth.
Settled in turn by Dutch, French and English colonists, who themselves brought African slaves, Indian indentured workers and Chinese traders to the island, Mauritius has gradually become home to a rich mix of religious, language and ethnic groups. The island has Hindu and Muslim Indian descendents; Creoles, who claim both French and African blood; and Chinese, many of whom have converted to Catholicism from Buddhism over the years. There are 87 religions on the island and most Mauritians are bilingual or trilingual, able to speak Creole French, English and often Hindi or Chinese as well.
The food reflects the diversity of the people. Dinner in Mauritius might be prawn egg rolls, octopus vindaloo, curried biryani rice, hearts of palm in hollandaise sauce and a pineapple mousse washed down with vanilla tea.
In Mauritius, “you name it, you’ll get it,” notes Madeleine Philippe, a Mauritian chef who has over the years collected many of the island’s best recipes.
Everything you need to cook Mauritian-style is on display at the Port Louis market, much of it relocated just in the past year to a stunning new open-air stone-and-wood building a short walk from the port and from the gates of the city’s moped-choked Chinatown.
Laid out along neat cobblestone aisles are heaps of flat yellow squashes, piles of fragrant fresh ginger, huge red grapefruit with their skins artistically split open on top to show the rich flesh inside.
“Car-oat-chees!” yells one vendor, waving a fresh batch of carrots. Nearby are giant piles of green beans, heaps of okra, bumpy green custard apples, mounds of tangerines and, everywhere, two of the big staples of Mauritian cooking: tomatoes and chili peppers, both in a colorful array of sizes and colors.
Across an alleyway, in an older section of the market, are the island’s famous spices: saffron, star anise, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, fresh vanilla pods, peppercorns of every color, and an even wider variety of powdered curry and tandoori mixes.
Saffron–introduced to Mauritius, like most of the spices–is one of the island’s big draws with visitors. An ounce goes for just $5–a steal for foreign gourmets used to paying much more in Europe or the United States.
“All the tourists come here to buy [the spices] because they’re so expensive at home,” agrees one vendor, proffering fragrant plastic bags from his cramped stall.
He demonstrates how the vanilla pods, sunk into a layer of sugar in a glass canning jar, gradually produce a delicious vanilla sugar to use in drinks or baked goods.
Nearby, in a fading tropical building with slatted walls and peeling green paint, is the port’s pungent meat market. Vendors chop the feet off chicken carcasses and toss them in plastic tubs; nearby sit hunks of fresh venison and wild boar–imported denizens of the island–still bearing patches of hair to show their provenance. Across an aisle are heaps of fish just in from the Indian Ocean, small bright blue and red species laid out in colorful patterns and, nearby, big hunks of fresh tuna.
The market has a long history dating to the mid-1700s, when it was first established facing the young French colonial city’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. At the end of 1773 it moved to the Place du Theatre, behind the main government house, then again in 1914 to the India Company Garden.
Finally, in 1839, the market reached its present location on Queen Street, just a couple of blocks from the water, and down the street from the city’s biggest mosque. Since then its wood-slatted buildings–designed to let the breeze through–have suffered a number of fires, the most recent in 1999. The newest section of the market, housing the fruits and vegetables, is now completely rebuilt in an airy, high-roofed style.
“We call it a market of five stars,” says Ablesh Geissury, 22, of the new structure. “It’s beautiful and the perfume, it’s so good!”
Geissury has worked in Port Louis’ market since he was 12, helping family members who make their living here. His mother sells fresh coconut, chilies and parsley at a vegetable stall, his sister sells spices and his father offers up East Indian imported textiles at a clothing market adjoining the spice stalls.
Geissury, of Indian descent, strolls through the market like a naturalist in the field, joking with vendors, pointing out differences between tiny sweet pink tomatoes and their spicier red cousins and offering recipes, most of them involving curry.
Nearly all the island’s half-dozen varieties of cucumber–some long, thin and dark with ridges, others fat and pale green–are excellent cut in small pieces and cooked with tomato and curry powder, he says. Okra, on the other hand, is great fried with onion, he says, and the magose–a bumpy cucumber–is nice fried with carrots.
Nearly everything in Mauritian cuisine needs at least a hint of chili. Great heaps of green and red chilies, some large and mild, others tiny and fiery, fill the market. Smiling vendors also screw the top off fragrant homemade pepper sauces to offer passersby a tantalizing whiff.
A local dialect of French is the lingua franca of Mauritius and of its market–even if the official language is English–but there’s never much trouble communicating in this low-pressure society.
“Mauritius good?” inquires one polite vendor in a baseball cap, perched behind huge baskets filled with fresh ginger and saffron verte, a gingerlike spice with a golden interior. He gives a broad smile when visitors nod their assent, and doesn’t appear to be the least displeased when they walk away without a purchase.
One section of the new produce market is devoted entirely to Chinese fare, which is increasingly popular among most of the country’s ethnic groups. Alongside fresh egg noodles are white watermelons, bok choy and Chinese sauces, among them a kind of caramelized vinegar.
Over the centuries, the borders between Mauritius’ ethnic cuisines–and its ethnic groups–have softened, and the result is some remarkable culinary fusion.
Among the traditional favorites on the island are wild boar rougaille, a Creole mix of meat with ginger, onion, garlic, tomato and spices, venison with sugar cane, as well as Peking duck and curried Muslim biryani rice. Creme brulee or bread pudding might be served for dessert alongside lassi, an Indian yogurt drink.
At the market’s crammed food section, shoppers pause to sip a refreshingly cool alouda, a mix of agar, water, milk, rose syrup and spices, and nibble on Indian sweets, fried chili fritters, Chinese noodles, octopus salad, cheese sandwiches or perhaps a samosa or two.
Just around the corner, at Mootoosamy’s herbal cures stand, it’s not hard to understand the most common problem facing his customers: excess weight.
He offers a herbal mix that promises to help anybody lose four to eight pounds a month, though even he admits it may have trouble competing with the island’s tempting bechamel sauces, rich curries and coconut desserts.
“Dieting. That’s the hardest thing,” admits Mootoosamy.
Tasting the colorful flavors of Mauritius
Madeleine and Clancy Philippe are Mauritian-born but migrated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1982. Madeleine has been cooking since the age of 16 and understands Mauritian cuisine with its intriguing blend of Indian, Chinese and French flavors.
The couple started a Web site, ile-maurice.tripod.com, devoted to their native cuisine and found it attracted many Mauritians who have settled in many parts of the world and were missing their favorite dishes. The site started with one or two recipes and has grown to more than 150 recipes.
“We receive 2,300-plus visits per day,” Clancy wrote in an e-mail.
“Definitely, the most favorite dish on our site is the chicken with prawns curry,” Clancy wrote. “In Mauritius, if you get invited for dinner, inevitably, 9 times out of 10, you will be offered a chicken curry.”
Recently, the Philippes also wrote a chapter on Mauritian food and drink for the “Lonely Planet Guide to Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles.”
Ingredients for curries and other Mauritian dishes can be found in Indian and Asian markets throughout the Chicago area or at online sites specializing in ethnic ingredients. These include adrianascaravan.com, amazon.com’s gourmet food page and ethnicgrocer.com.
Here are a few classic Mauritian dishes from the Philippes’ Web site:
Garlic prawns with aioli
(Crevettes a l’aioli)
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
– This simple dish of whole shrimp comes with a French-style aioli, or flavored mayonnaise. You’ll have some aioli left-over; use it for a dip with vegetables or as a sandwich spread. You can substitute shrimp without the heads and tails, if you wish.
Aioli:
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 egg yolks from pasteurized eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon each: dry mustard, salt
1 8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic shrimp:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound large shrimp, shelled, deveined, leaving heads and tail on
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Place all of the aioli ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender; turn on the machine. Add the oil in a thin, steady stream with the machine running until mixture thickens; set aside.
2. For shrimp, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it sizzles, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp; cook, stirring, until shrimp turn pink, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in 1 3 cup of the aioli, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. (Reserve remaining aioli in refrigerator up to 2 days for another use.)
Nutrition information per serving:
257 calories, 72% of calories from fat, 20 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 138 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 16 g protein, 376 mg sodium,0.1 g fiber
Mauritian chicken curry (Cari poule)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 62 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
– This fragrant curry is ubiquitous in Mauritian homes. Serve this curry with basmati rice and tomato chutney on the side.
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons hot or mild curry powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 to 5 curry leaves or kaffir lime leaves, optional
1/2 cup hot water
1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add garlic, onion, ginger and thyme. Cook, stirring, until on-ion is transparent, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes blend into sauce, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the curry powder and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Cook, stirring frequently, until creamy and well blended, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken pieces and curry leaves; cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Add hot water; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; garnish with remaining cilantro.
Nutrition information per serving:
281 calories, 37% of calories from fat, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 103 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 407 mg sodium,3 g fiber
Tomato chutney (Chatini pomme d’amour)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Standing time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
– Serve this fresh salsalike side as an accompaniment to rice and curry dishes.
6 ripe tomatoes, cored, finely chopped
2 green chilies, such as jalapeno, seeded, chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon each: vegetable oil, salt
Stir tomatoes, chilies, onion, cilantro and oil together in a medium bowl; let stand 1-2 hours. Stir in salt just before serving.
Nutrition information per serving:
28 calories, 14% of calories from fat, 0.5 g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 151 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Black lentils (Lentilles noires)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Soaking time: 12 hours
Cooking time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
– Green or brown lentils also may be used in this dish. The lentils often are served with steak, chicken fricassee or vindaloo, a spicy curry.
1 cup dried black lentils, soaked 12 hours
5 curry leaves, optional
1 sprig thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large onions, chopped
1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, chopped
2 large tomatoes, cored, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Drain soaked lentils; cover lentils with fresh water in a medium saucepan. Add curry leaves and thyme sprig; heat to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover. Cook until lentils are tender, about 1 hour. Remove curry leaves and thyme.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add the garlic, onions and ginger. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes; stir in tomatoes. Add the cooked lentils to the Dutch oven; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving:
136 calories, 24% of calories from fat, 4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 151 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
———-
In coming months, Tribune writers will shop the markets to learn how food reflects the cultures of different countries.
Upcoming cities featured in the series:
ISTANBUL
LONDON
MEXICO CITY
SANTIAGO
TOKYO
