Quick and easy homemade recipes from Mauritius!

Ingredients:
Half a green papaya, cut into medium sized cubes

ginger, about the size of a finger(the smallest one)

5 medium cloves of garlic

1 tbsp cumin seeds

250g of beef, cut into small pieces

1 medium sized potato, cut into medium sized cubes

half red onion, sliced

Spices:

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp dhania ( coriander powder)

chilli powder (to taste)

Steps:

1.Blend the ginger, garlic, chilli, cumin seeds until you get a paste.Maybe you will need to add a little water before blending.

2.In your pressure cooker, fry the onions. When brown enough, add the paste from step 1.

3.Add all the spices and give it a quick stir.

4.Add the beef and fry for 1-2 minutes.

5.Add some hot water(about 200ml) and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes,check if the beef is soft enough(depends on how soft you would want it).If not soft enough,then pressure cook for a few more minutes, but be sure that the water is enough, otherwise your beef will burn!

6.When the beef is nicely cooked, add the papaya and potatoes. Cook until done. It should take about 5-10 minutes.

7.Serve with rice and a fresh salad.

Ingredients:
5 baby boy choys
1 cup of maize
1 cup of cashew nuts
4 cloves of garlic
sesame oil
salt

Steps:
1.Cut the baby boy choy in half and then boil/steam them. If you boil them, it should take about 1-2 mins.Steaming is preferred though.
2.Pour some oil in a pan and add some salt.
3.Fry the garlic until brown.Add the maize,stir-fry for a few seconds and then add the cashew nuts.
4.Place the baby bok choy around on a round plate as in the picture.Then, put the fried garlic with the maize+cashew nuts in the middle.
Pour over some sesame oil.
5.Serve.

This is a side-dish, for example, you can serve it along with some kungpao chicken and rice.

One mauritian dessert I absolutely love is Maize pudding,also known as Polenta pudding or corn pudding(simply known as "Poudine mais" in Mauritius). I was never used to cooking in home, but now that I am in China, I terribly miss these simple foods. So, today I decided to try "poudine mais"!My mom sent me the recipe and it turned out really good!

Ingredients:

250g fine corn powder

50g sugar

25g coconut powder

vanilla essence

sultanas(dried raisins)

1/2 litre of milk or 6 tbsp of milk powder mixed in 1/2 litre of water

Steps:

1.Soak corn powder overnight or at least 30 mins.Throw the water and all the impurities floating.

2.Add some more water to the corn powder and allow to boil,stiring continuously to avoid the corn powder from burning.Add water if needed.

3.Add the sugar, milk, vanilla essence, sultanas and continue stirring until mixture thickens.

4.Sprinkle some coconut powder on a plate and pour the corn mixture into the plate.Sprinkle some more coconut powder over the mixture.

5.Allow to cool and when cool enough,place in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.

6.Slice to your choice.

Chicken eggs,duck's eggs,goose's eggs....chinese people just love eating them,whether fried, roasted or boiled.Some very "popular eggs" ( you know what I mean :P) are the Century eggs, Soy eggs, Tea_eggs, Balut, Salted Duck eggs and Lutefisk.
Century eggs("dizef cent ans") and soy eggs("dizef rotis") are particularly very popular in Mauritius.For every Chinese New Year, we must all eat century eggs.Also, if it is your birthday, then eating century eggs will ensure you a long life according to the traditional myth.
Soy eggs are very easy to make and usually Chinese eat them as snacks or for breakfast along with jook(rice porridge).

Ingredients:
10 boiled eggs
1tbsp chinese 5 spices
1tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp soya sauce
300 ml cooking wine

Steps: put all ingredients to simmer in a pan about 20 minutes

Today morning I was thinking what I was going to eat for my lunch when I suddenly remembered that I had some uncooked red beans left.
It had been long since I ate beans too,so decision made!Beans masala for lunch!It is a very easy and quick recipe.You can soak your beans
for about 1 hour,but I usually just pressure cook it for a little while longer.It is a very healthy recipe and is full of proteins.

Ingredients:
Cumin seeds
1 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder(dhania)
3 medium tomatoes
2 small chillies(slit)
2 cups red beans
1 tsp methi powder
coriander leaves
salt to taste

Steps:
1.Wash the red beans and put in pressure cooker.The amount of water used should be twice the amount of beans.I always add a little more,because I don't want to take any risk of the water evaporating and my beans burning.
Pressure cook for about 15-20 mins.Open and check the beans as well as the amount of water.If needed,add more water.

2.In a separate pan,pour some oil.When the oil is hot,put the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.Add the chopped onions and until golden brown.

3.Add the garam masala powder and give it a quick stir.Spices can burn very easily,so add some water from the red beans to the pan.

4.Add the coriander powder and the slit chillies.Stir.

5.Add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix all well.Add some more "red bean water".Cover and let cook for 3 mins until a nice paste is produced.

6.Add the red beans and let cook for another 2 mins.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves.

You can serve this dish with rice and a fresh crisp salad.