🇲🇺 Mauritian Cuisine

Mazavarou

Spiced Chilli Paste

Prep Time 15 min
Servings 10
Difficulty Easy

An intensely fiery condiment made from fresh and dried chillies ground with garlic, ginger, and salt, the heat backbone of Mauritian cooking.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Soak dried chillies in hot water for ten minutes until softened. Drain well.
  2. 2 Combine fresh and soaked dried chillies, garlic, ginger, and salt in a mortar.
  3. 3 Pound vigorously until a rough paste forms. The texture should be coarse, not smooth.
  4. 4 Stir in the oil to bind the paste and help preserve it.
  5. 5 Transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Did You Know?

Mauritian grandmothers judge a cook's skill partly by the quality of their mazavarou, and many family recipes are closely guarded secrets.