Zoom on the biryani: typical dish of Mauritius

When you come for a last minute holidays to Mauritius, it is mainly to enjoy the panoramas and exotic scenery. However, the holidays are not complete if you do not taste its dishes. Among the typical dishes of Mauritius there is the biryani. It is a very complete rice dish with different flavors.

The origin of biryani

This dish arrived Mauritius through Indian immigrants. The people came to build modern Mauritius. The Indians, who are mostly Muslims, brought their receipts with their cultural clothing and culinary tradition. Biryani is a traditional dish for the king in India. Currently, it has become a popular dish of the island and it has also become a must during every holiday on Mauritius. You cannot leave this tropical island without having tasted this famous Muslim dish. This dish is often part of the menu during the Eid-ul-Fitr. It takes place every year, one month after Ramadan.

What does a biryani dish consist of?

You have just returned from your Mauritius family holidays and you liked this typical Mauritian dish? Are you currently looking for the recipe so you can cook it at home? Here are the ingredients to make this tasty dish a success. For a dish of six people, you need 4 farm chicken legs, 400 g of rice, 600 g of potatoes, 350 g of onions and 2 plain yogurts. These are the basic ingredients. Now, let’s talk about what makes biryani unique, namely the spices. You will need 40 g of biryani spices; you can easily find them in an Asian grocery store. Next, you will need a cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, a saffron capsule, 5 g turmeric, 8 cardamom capsules, half coriander and mint.

How to prepare the recipe?

To cook this typical Mauritian dish, you must plan three hours of preparation time and cooking time. The first thing to do is to prepare the chicken legs, cut them in half and brown them in a pot. Then peel the garlic and ginger and chop them. When the pieces are golden brown, put the yogurts, garlic, ginger, turmeric and biryani spices. Mix them well and let them macerate for an hour. Meanwhile, you have to cut the onions into thin strips and fry them. Also fry potatoes, cut into 2 cm cubes.

What is the preparation that requires a lot of attention?

The rice preparation is the most important part, but first you must chop the coriander and mint and add them with the onions and potatoes. You must then soak the saffron (or Turmeric in Europe) in a glass of water for 20 min. The rice must be pearled in a pan with sunflower oil. You will then add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and salt. To cook it completely, you must pour water. When the 15 mins time is up, you must put the rice in the pot where there is chicken meat and potatoes. Then add the saffron water. Cook over low heat for 40 mins and your biryani is ready.

During your luxury holidays to Mauritius, you can’t miss out on this tasty dish. You will not be able to say that you went on vacation to Mauritius without having tasted it. If you liked the flavor, you can reproduce it at home with the recipe we proposed.