Mauritian Fish Vindaye: The Recipe with Mustard and Turmeric

Fish vindaye is firm fish fried, then left to pickle overnight in vinegar, turmeric, mustard seeds, onion, garlic and chilli. You make it the day before, keep it in the fridge and serve it cold with fresh bread, rice or a farata. For 500 g of fish the pan work takes a few minutes; most of the effort is the overnight wait.

Which fish to use for vindaye

Pick firm flesh that survives frying and vinegar without flaking apart. Published recipes use tuna, swordfish, barracuda, sea bass or kingfish. Cut the fish into bite-sized cubes: small pieces take up the spices better.

Ingredients for 500 g of fish

• 500 g tuna or swordfish, cubed
• 2 large onions, or 6 shallots, halved lengthways
• 2 garlic cloves, cut into strips
• 2 to 3 green or red chillies, halved lengthways
• 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds, coarsely ground
• 2 tablespoons turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek (methi) seeds
• 5 to 6 fresh curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a little to finish
• 2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Method, step by step

1. Fry the fish

Season the cubes with a pinch of salt. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish for about 1 minute on each side. It should stay moist and tender, because it finishes taking up flavour in the marinade. Set it aside.

2. Make the spice paste

Stir the ground mustard, turmeric and salt with a little cold water until you have a paste.

3. Cook the onions and spices

In the same pan, over a medium heat, cook a third of the onion until it just turns translucent. Don’t brown it: it should stay crunchy. Add the garlic, fenugreek and curry leaves, then the spice paste. Cook for 2 minutes on a medium heat and no longer, because burnt mustard turns bitter.

4. Put it together

Return the fish to the pan and toss gently to coat it. Take the pan off the heat, add the rest of the onion and the chillies, then pour in the vinegar and a drizzle of oil.

5. Let it rest

Leave it to cool, cover it and refrigerate overnight. Vindaye is served cold and keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Three published quantities, one basic method

Proportions vary a lot from kitchen to kitchen, vinegar most of all. The method does not: fried fish, spices as a paste or powder, and an acid that preserves.

The jar version is started about three days ahead: the fish, the still-crunchy onions and the liquid are packed into a sterilised jar. That recipe gives a keeping time of up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Another recipe advises against mixing the fish and sauce in a metal or plastic container; glass is fine.

Where vindaye comes from

Vindaye descends from vindaloo, a dish from western India that reached Mauritius under the name vindaye. The most common explanation of the name goes back to the Portuguese “vinha d’alho”, meat marinated in wine vinegar and garlic. It became “vindaloo” in Goa, was Frenchified in Mauritius into “vin d’ail” and ended up as “vindaye” in Creole. This is a popular etymology rather than a documented fact, so treat it as such.

What to serve with vindaye

In Mauritius vindaye is eaten with fresh bread, plain rice, or wrapped in a farata. If you are putting together a full Mauritian meal, the chicken curry is the other staple to know. For another seafood dish, try the Rodrigues octopus curry.

Going further

If you are visiting the south-east, our walking guide to Mahébourg takes you as far as the market. More local dishes are collected in the guide to Mauritian cuisine.

Sources and checks

• Brinda Bungaroo — Mauritian fish vindaye
• SBS Food — fish vindaye
• Expat.com — fish vindaye, a forum recipe
• Coquinaria — fish curry from Mauritius (vindaye)
• Guide du Routard — food and drink in Mauritius