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Gato moutaille
Fried dough ropes in cardamom syrup
Gato moutaille: Mauritian twisted dough ropes fried and soaked in cardamom syrup
On Divali evening in Mauritius, Hindu households set out clay lamps and then walk plates of sweets round to their neighbours, Hindu, Muslim, Creole and Chinese alike; gato moutaille, gato cravate and gato zinzli are almost always on the plate. Moutaille (from the Bhojpuri mithai) are short ropes of soft dough twisted into knots or spirals, fried until crisp and soaked in a cardamom syrup so the outside is sticky and the inside stays slightly chewy. Common mistake: syrup that is too thick, which crystallises into a white crust; cook it only to one-string consistency, when a drop pulled between finger and thumb makes a single thread. Chef's tip: dip the moutaille while they are hot and the syrup is warm, then lift them out after a minute so they stay crisp.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- ½ cup milkabout
For the syrup
- 9 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp rose water (optional)
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder, rub in 2 tbsp ghee, then add 2 tbsp plain yogurt and enough ½ cup milk to make a soft, smooth dough. Rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
18 minStep 2: Boil 9 oz sugar and ¾ cup water for 6–8 minutes until one-string stage. Stir in ½ tsp ground green cardamom, ½ tsp lime juice and 1 tsp rose water and keep warm.
8 minStep 3: Roll pieces of dough into pencil-thick ropes about 20 cm long. Fold each in half and twist into a rope, pinching the ends.
12 minStep 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 350°F and fry the moutaille in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp.
20 minStep 5: Drop the hot moutaille straight into the warm syrup for 1 minute, turning, then lift onto a rack to drain and set.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gato moutaille take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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