Traditional Mauritian Roti and Fillings — Part 3/3: Rougaille Sauce and Coriander (Cilantro) Chutney

Before closing off this series of 3 posts, I have to admit that the idea of jumping on a plane to go and experience the roti from the streets of Mauritius did cross my mind. For sure, this whole series has taken my tastebuds for a little trip back in time, reminiscing about the mouthwatering aromas that steams out upon opening a pack of freshly purchased roti and the intricate flavour delight of biting into a hot roti.

Quite enjoyably, the homemade version is just as satisfying and hopefully you might just be able to relish on the ultimate Mauritian roti and fillings experience in your own home.

Now that the roti and white bean curry are done (in parts one and two), without further ado, the rougaille sauce and coriander chutney are all that are left so that you may kick this Mauritian roti party off!



Like I mentioned in the earlier posts, while the roti and fillings do seem like a lot to do on the same day, they don't actually take that long to make. With a little organisation and some minimum multi-tasking skills, you can have everything ready to serve in about one hour and a half or even less.

Starting with the roti is probably the best way to go. While the dough is resting for 15 minutes, you can start preparing the ingredients for the curry and even start cooking it up to the simmering stage. Then while the curry is simmering, you can come back to the roti dough and roll the pieces out. Remember to keep an eye on the curry though and turn it off when it is done. Once all the rotis are cooked, you can proceed onto the rougaille sauce which will actually take no more than 15 minutes to make. I would keep the coriander chutney for last as it is much nicer when enjoyed fresh; it should not take more than 10 minutes.

If you remember the red kidney beans and mushrooms rougaille, in the roti, a similar rougaille sauce is usually served except that it is just the plain aromatic tomato sauce. Infact, locally when we make the plain rougaille sauce we actually call it “rougaille touni” which literally means “naked rougaille”. Naked, because it is just the base sauce with nothing else added to it.



Watch the video for part 3: Rougaille Sauce and Coriander (Cilantro) Chutney

Plain Rougaille Sauce

Ingredients (serve 3-4)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
1/2 cup [180 g, 6 oz] onion
8 - 10 curry leaves (fresh or dried), omit if unavailable
1 - 2 red or green chilies (adjust to taste)
4 - 5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 - 6 Roma tomatoes [700g, 25 oz], chopped
Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) or parsley for garnish
Salt to taste

In a skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil on medium temperature. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Let these sizzle for about 15 seconds then add the onions and stir. Let cook for about 30 seconds, while stirring a few times. Add the curry leaves followed by the tomatoes. Let cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the the chilies and the thyme. Cook for about 7 - 10 minutes while stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to soften and break down into a sauce. They don't need to melt completely into the sauce. Add salt to taste and stir well. Then turn off the heat. Garnish with the coriander leaves or parsley.



The coriander chutney is served as a condiment with various other dishes. It can be made quite hot or mild depending on personal preferences. Ginger is optional in this but I like the warm notes that it adds to this refreshing chutney.

Coriander (Cilantro) Chutney

Ingredients (serve 3-4)
1 cup [80g, 2.8 oz] coriander leaves (cilantro), roughly chopped
2 small Roma tomatoes [200g] or 1 large salad tomato, chopped
2 green/red chilies (adjust to taste)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup [50g, 1.8oz] onion, chopped
1 inch ginger (optional)
Salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and process to a smooth puree. Taste and adjust the salt.

This chutney is best served on the same day but it will keep for one day in the refrigerator, although it will lose its lovely bright green colour.



To serve, make sure the roti is warm and then add a little bit of each filling and roll the roti on itself. Do not overfill the roti or it will be a little bit messy to eat. It is the combination of flavours from the spicy aromatic curry, the tartness of the rougaille sauce and the freshness of the chutney that makes the Mauritian roti really quite unique and hard to resist.



Also in this series:

Part 1: Mauritian Roti/Farata (oil-free version)
Part 2: White Bean Curry