I’m pretty sure by now you’ve heard of the delicious Mauritian street foods and are desperately longing for a good, steaming hot dipin frir with its kotomili (coriander) chutney…

You’re in luck! Today, we’re going to introduce you to 5 of the best Mauritian street foods around the island, and hopefully excite your virtual taste buds enough for you to pop in at one of our food tours and try some for yourself.

The first street food you need to know about is called the “gato piman” (chili bites). These crispy snacks are made from crushed yellow split peas, complete with a touch of ground dried chili and coriander, rolled in balls then fried until golden. They are best eaten hot and crispy, with a side of tomato chutney or mazavaroo chili paste – #doublyspicy if you can handle it 😉

Then comes the “gato arwi” (taro fritters), an absolute must have! Also best served piping hot and crunchy, taro fritters are made from the taro root, which – when crushed, grated and fried – is extremely sweet and fluffy. Opt for some sweet chili sauce on the side to add some tangy spiciness to your taro fritters and enjoy this delicious street food the Mauritian way!

Similarly, “gato lissou” (cabbage fritters) are widely adored by Mauritians. Thinly grated, cabbage shreds are then rolled in balls, dipped in a flour and onion batter, then fried till golden and sizzling. Hot, hot, hot, is how they are eaten – along with kotomili chutney, of course.

Another staple of Mauritian street food cuisine is the “dipin frir” (bread pakoras). This street food is probably the simplest to make as it consists only of slices of bread dipped in an egg-based batter, complete with some breadcrumbs and kotomili. Bread pakoras also have to be consumed hot to prevent the batter from losing its crispiness as it cools. What makes all the flavours tie in, is the tomato and kotomili chutney, which slight acidity compensates for the overly sweet “dipin frir” batter.

Last but not least, the “roti”. This type of Indian flat bread is made from whole wheat flour, rolled thinly (I mean very thinly, like paper thin kind of thinly) and cooked on a tawa, which is a traditional Indian skillet. If you’re lucky enough to witness their cooking, you will see that the air trapped inside creates bubbles that give the roti its fluffy and airy texture. Like all other street food favourites, rotis are best eaten straight out of the tawa, with some butterbean curry, “toufe bred sonz” and “rougay touni”, along with some chili and the ever-present kotomili chutney.

You may have noticed all these street foods have something in common!? Best eaten hot with brightly coloured chutneys, they are in some ways similar to our warm Mauritius island and its colourful multiculturality 🙂

Now wait no more! Book your food tour now, and come discover these (and a lot more!) delicious Mauritian street foods…