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Gâteau arouille
Taro fritters
Gato arouy: crisp Mauritian fritters of grated taro with spring onion and green chilli
Glass cases on street carts outside bus stations from Curepipe to Port Louis are piled with fritters, and the craggy, golden gâteau arouille is the one with the shaggy edges and the soft, almost creamy middle. Grated taro (arouille, also sold as eddo or dasheen) is bound with a spoon of rice flour, spring onion and chilli, then dropped into hot oil, where the strands turn crunchy. They are eaten warm from a paper bag with a dab of chilli paste or a coconut chatini, often as an afternoon snack. Taro must be cooked right through, as raw taro irritates the mouth; the common mistake is oil that is too hot, which browns the outside while the centre stays raw and gluey. Chef's tip: wear gloves or oil your hands before grating, because raw taro makes the skin itch for an hour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb taro (arouille, eddo or dasheen)peeled
- 3 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 handful fresh corianderchopped
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Oil your hands or wear gloves. Grate 1 ⅛ lb taro (arouille, eddo or dasheen) on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl.
Step 2: Add 3 spring onions, 2 green chillies, 1 handful fresh coriander, 2 tbsp rice flour, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and mix with your hand. The mixture should be sticky and hold together when squeezed; add another spoon of rice flour if it is wet.
Step 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep pan to 350°F, or until a strand of taro dropped in sizzles steadily and rises in about 5 seconds.
8 minStep 4: Drop in rough tablespoons of the mixture, 5 or 6 at a time, without flattening them so the strands stay shaggy.
Step 5: Fry on a medium heat, turning once, until deep golden and crisp and a fritter broken open is soft and cooked all the way through with no white, raw strands.
5 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. Eat warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gâteau arouille take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
- What can I use instead of fresh coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint (for people who dislike coriander too).
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