It has been more than a year since we have been able to set foot in Mauritius, which has left us pining for clear waters, sunshine and the amazing street food. I had to find ways to create some of it in my kitchen, otherwise you are left with a wilting Mauritian, the wilting Mauritian being me by the way in case this was anything short of obvious. This brings me back to a Sunday morning at my grandparents’ home amidst a gaggle of cousins whereby breakfast would be left overs of snacks from the day before. Often it would be a farata, very akin to the Indian paratha, a bit stale but so absolutely wonderful thrown again over the ‘tawa’, a flat pan used for the cooking of these delectable flatbreads. We would have it with jam and if we were very lucky, maybe we would have two…unlikely though… for me, make this Never! I just was not fast enough. However, the ultimate favourite, for youth and adults alike, were the left overs of ‘gato pima’, in small pieces mixed with a fresh tomato salsa. Stuff this in a fresh hot baguette and you have a classic Mauritian favourite. I often make these gato pimas but there are never any left overs for the next day breakfast, this is how popular they are at ours. Which brings me to put the mix together as I would for gato pima but then made it bigger and flattened it like a burger. I also panfried it rather than deepfrying, which makes it so much healthier. I Served it in brioche bun with a fresh salsa, and my preferred option for myself, in a sourdough roll, and there we have it. A bit of Mauritius on a plate.
A twist on a Mauritian Classic
