mondomulia

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Selina's, aka Yummy Choo Eats, first Mauritian Supper Club. Hosted in Selina's house in Croydon, the supper club consisted of starters, main dishes and a dessert, all made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. With the help of 'Mama Choo', she put together a fantastic 3 course dinner that left us full and satisfied.

We had a small food bloggers meet-up as Sela of Chocolate Walks, Katy of Feel Good Food Book and Laura of The Writing Type were also there. With a total of twelve diners, plus Selina's husband, mum and in-laws, it felt more like a big family reunion and there was a lovely and warm atmosphere!

We arrived at the dinner just after 7pm and had the time for a rum cocktail before sitting down for dinner. The starters consisted in crispy Chilli Cakes (Gateaux Piment) and Aubergine Fritters (Gateau Bringele), some aromatic Coriander Chutney and a fresh Cucumber Salad.

The main course was impressive - I was glad that I had eaten very little all day and prepared my stomach for this beautiful feast!

The cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Creole, Chinese, European and Indian influences. As a main course we had Chicken curry (Cari Poulet), Potato and Butterbean curry (Grois Pois), Tomato Chutney (Rougaille) and lentil flat bread (Dhall Pouri) - though they might be inspired by Southern Indian cuisine, the Mauritian recipes have their own distinctive flavours and taste - more delicate and sweet.

Also the way of eating the bread is very different from India, as we were told to make a wrap with it, rather than dip pieces in the curry.

As part of the main course, we also tried an exotic vegetable named Chou Chou, a coconut paste (Chatini Coco), pilau rice and pickles.

I always look forward to the dessert and I was very pleased with my generous slice of Polenta Cake (Pudine Mais). A hot cup of chai at the end of the meal was exactly what I needed.

Yummy Choo Eats' Supper Club was my first encounter with Mauritian culture and it is clear that food is an important part of it. I wish Selina a great success in promoting Mauritian cuisine in London, this dinner was certainly a great start!

If you're also a fan of Selina's blog, vote for her here!