Local Dishes

24 phrases · Mauritian Creole with romanization, English and audio

  1. Dalpuri

    Dalpuri (split-pea flatbread)

    Usage

    Thin flatbread made with dhall and flour, wrapped around curry and chutney; a street-food staple

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "dalpuri" (snack resembling a pancake of dhall and flour); spelling as in the dictionary

  2. Farata

    Farata (flatbread)

    Usage

    Flatbread cooked on a hot-plate, eaten with curry or hot sauce

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary and Wiktionary "farata". The dictionary also lists "fat, lazy person", so never use it about people

  3. Roti

    Roti (flatbread)

    Usage

    Thin unleavened flatbread served with curry

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary and Wiktionary "roti"; as an adjective it also means "roasted"

  4. Briani

    Briani (spiced rice dish)

    Usage

    Spicy rice dish with meat and potato, common at celebrations

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "briani" (variants "briyani", "briye"); the spelling is not fully settled

  5. Vindaye

    Vindaye (mustard and vinegar dish)

    Usage

    Fish or octopus in vinegar, mustard seed and turmeric, eaten cold

    Grammar Note

    Not in the dictionary; spelling "vindaye" is taken from Wikipedia and should be confirmed

  6. Rougay

    Rougay (tomato stew)

    Usage

    Tomato, onion and spice stew served with rice

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "rugay" (tomato-based dish) written as Wiktionary "rougay"; not the French "rougail"

  7. Rougay dizef

    Rougay with egg

    Usage

    Home-style rougay with egg

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary lists "rugay dizef" (tomato-based dish with egg); "dizef" = egg

  8. Rougay somo

    Rougay with canned fish

    Usage

    Quick home-style rougay made with canned fish

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary lists "rugay somo" (tomato-based dish with canned fish); "somo" is kept as in the dictionary

  9. Kari

    Curry

    Usage

    General word for a dish eaten with rice or roti: chicken, fish, pulses and so on

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary and Wiktionary "kari"; the dictionary also glosses it as any dish to go with rice

  10. Satini

    Satini (chutney)

    Usage

    Relish made from vegetables, coconut or tomato, served with farata and dalpuri

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary and Wiktionary "satini"; the dictionary lists combinations such as "satini koko" and "satini brinzel"

  11. Mazavarou

    Mazavarou (chilli sauce)

    Usage

    Chilli sauce; very hot, so use a little at a time

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "mazavaru" (chilli sauce), written "mazavarou" as in Wikipedia; spelling converted from the dictionary (LPT) form to the official AKM orthography

  12. Diri frir

    Fried rice

    Usage

    Fried rice, a common dish at Sino-Mauritian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary lists "diri frir" (fried rice); "frir" is an adjective meaning fried

  13. Mine frir

    Fried noodles

    Usage

    Sino-Mauritian staple of noodles stir-fried with vegetables, egg and meat or prawns

    Grammar Note

    "mine" comes from Wikipedia's Kreol "Mines"; the dictionary writes noodles as "mifunn". Built like "diri frir"; spelling should be confirmed

  14. Bulet pwason

    Fish balls

    Usage

    Balls of minced fish added to soups and stir-fries

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary lists "bulet pwason" (fish ball); "pwason" can also be an insult, but in a food name it means fish

  15. Buyon bred

    Leafy-greens soup

    Usage

    Light broth of cooked leafy greens (bred), eaten with rice

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary lists "buyon bred" (vegetable soup); spelling as in the dictionary

  16. Buyon mifunn

    Fine-noodle soup

    Usage

    Warm soup with fine noodles

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary lists "buyon mifunn" (noodle soup); spelling as in the dictionary

  17. Ladob

    Ladob (dish in tomato sauce)

    Usage

    A dish cooked in tomato sauce

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "ladob" (dish in tomato sauce); the dictionary gives no more detail, so none is added

  18. Karibari

    Karibari (dhall-ball curry)

    Usage

    Curry with balls of dhall

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "karibari" (dish with balls of dholl)

  19. Samousa

    Samousa (small filled pastry)

    Usage

    Triangular fried pastry snack filled with vegetables or meat

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "samusa" (small pastry with filling) and Wiktionary "samousa"; spelling converted from the dictionary (LPT) form to the official AKM orthography

  20. Gato piman

    Gato piman (chilli split-pea fritter)

    Usage

    Fritter of ground split peas and chilli; despite "gato" (cake), it is savoury

    Grammar Note

    "gato" is cake/confection and "piman" is chilli in the dictionary. The combination is a dish name, not a dictionary entry; Wikipedia has "Gato piment"

  21. Gato brinzel

    Gato brinzel (aubergine fritter)

    Usage

    Aubergine slices dipped in batter and fried, a common snack

    Grammar Note

    "brinzel" means aubergine but has a vulgar second sense. In a dish name it is normal; do not use the bare word as a joke

  22. Gato lisou

    Gato lisou (cabbage fritter)

    Usage

    Savoury fritter made with cabbage

    Grammar Note

    Dictionary "lisu" (cabbage) written "lisou" in AKM spelling; the name "gato lisou" is from Wikipedia

  23. Bol ranverse

    Bol ranverse (upturned-bowl rice dish)

    Usage

    Sino-Mauritian dish of rice topped with a savoury stew and a fried egg, turned out of a bowl

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary lists "bol ranverse" (a kind of rice dish), kept as in the dictionary; Wikipedia writes "bol renversé"

  24. Pistas griye

    Grilled peanuts

    Usage

    Roasted peanuts in the shell, sold on beaches and roadsides

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary lists "pistas griye" (grilled peanuts); "pistas" can also mean "nothing"

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