Mauritian Curry Powder
A Mauritian Style Curry is all about the curry powder. If you want that Mauritian curry flavour you tasted when you went on your honeymoon in Mauritius, then you need to find out about the curry powder brand they used. Curry powder is a blend of several spices together to create a unique flavour. In every region of Mauritius or India, I bet women and men are making their mix to use at home.
Memoire
Back at home, when I was a child, vegetarian or non-veg curries were a daily thing. For weekday curries, my mom would use the shop bought curry powder which was cheap enough to buy yet so much better than a Modern Chipper curry today. In fact, it was nothing like that.
Set Apart
Even after eating curries few days a week, on the weekends at least one day, it had to be a Fish, Chicken or Octopus curry that would be so much tastier than the one made during the week. What set it apart was the curry powder or paste used.
Because of weekends, were for celebration, for rest, for family time and just being together. The weekend food had to be special and made from scratch. The curry powder was prepared using a Mauritian Style flat stone mortar and pestle. It took anything between 15 to 30 minutes to crush the whole spices into a golden paste.
I was at it from the age of 9, and there was no sympathy for those going to bed with a bandaged arm soaked in Menthol Gelly (Eucalyptus pain killer gel). There was no need for kettle bells or lack of exercise issues back then.
But chopping vegetables, foraging wild leaves or cutting green bananas from the jungle at the back of our house was taught to us from very young age, and it was a regular thing.
As grateful as I am to inherit that culture from home. I would rather use my small coffee grinder today. It makes life so much easier.
Although I would do anything to go back then and learn everything my mama and grannies were teaching us.
I’m glad my mam doesn’t read my blog. For the things, I’ve said here would be unacceptable.
Love For Curry
I remember all the tears and pain at the start, but then I got used to the pain. I think that’s when I started noticing the spices she used and registered the flavour in my mind when the food was ready. It was all a learning curve. But for the sake of my tears and curry love today I would send my mam at her age of 57 to that old mortar and pestle to make ME the same curry from scratch for when I go back home. For all the curry paste she made myself and my elder sister crush when we were young.
I’m not bitter; it’s just my love for my mams curry 😉 In few weeks I will be sharing a homemade curry powder without the added chemicals and wheat!
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WoW! This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Author
Thank you so much! Means a lot
Ohhh curry is one of my absolute favorite dish. I always crave for this type of food— spicy and saucy. This looks like my cup of tea.
Author
And so tasty!
Mmm, this looks and sounds lovely! I’m intrigued by what goes in your special Mauritian curry blend.
Author
Ah you will just have to wait! I’m working on it already
I absolutely love curry! The joy of making the curry yourself is so fun, it always tastes so close, but a tiny bit different every time.
Author
That’s right Tania! you can make your own curry powder soon!
This looks like it would be a really nice recipe with just vegetables for us vegetarian folk! I love beans and Indian spices.
Author
It’s perfect for vegetarian recipes Tiffany. Just use any other veg or protein
I am hungry! Love your recipes, Mira. I will try this one more towards vegan. Off to cook!
Author
Yeah it’s totally doable, I often use the same recipe with any veggies or beans I have in the press
Oh this looks absolutely stunning! We are massive curry fans in our house, you sound like you’ve grew UK with some wonderful cooking experiences, despite them being very hard work. I’ll pin this to my thrifty recipe board!
Author
Haha, thank you, David!