Mauritian chatini recipe: tomato, coriander-coconut and potato

Chatini is the fresh relish that goes with almost every Mauritian meal: chopped vegetables or fruit, chilli and herbs, served next to the curry, the rice or the dholl puri. The simplest is tomato chatini, ready without any cooking from 4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, 1 to 2 green chillies, 1 onion, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and half a lime. Below are three basic recipes: tomato, coriander and coconut, and potato.

What chatini is

The word comes from Mauritian Creole and has Indian roots, like the English chutney. The French dictionary defines it as a raw, spicy, hot condiment of finely chopped fruit and vegetables that goes with rice and other dishes. It comes with tomato (pomme d’amour in Creole), potato or coriander.

A French travel guide traces it to India by way of English influence, with crushed spices, garlic, ginger, chilli and vinegar, and says it lifts simple dishes. The recipes below use no vinegar. Every cook has their own version, and quantities are adjusted by taste.

Tomato chatini (pomme d’amour)

This is the simplest raw version. One published recipe serves 4 to 6. Its author adds lime or lemon, a family habit that softens the chilli and freshens the taste.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 ripe tomatoes
• 1 to 2 green chillies
• 1 medium onion
• fresh coriander or basil, chopped fine or coarse
• a drizzle of olive oil
• half a lime or lemon, chopped
• salt

Method

1. Chop the tomato flesh finely and put it in the serving bowl.
2. Chop the chilli and onion finely and add them with the chopped lime.
3. Stir, drizzle with olive oil and add salt.
4. Taste, adjust the seasoning and scatter over the coriander or basil.

Serve it at room temperature with a curry, rice or a biryani. The same source says some people like it mild and others hot with plenty of fresh herbs, so the chilli and the herbs are what you adjust.

Coriander and coconut chatini

This one is blended. A recipe from a Mauritian magazine puts freshly grated coconut in with the coriander.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of coriander leaves, packed
• 1 cup of freshly grated coconut
• 4 green chillies
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• a piece of ginger about 1.25 cm (half an inch)
• 4 garlic cloves
• a third of a teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 dessertspoon of sugar and 1 dessertspoon of lemon juice
• salt

Method

Blend everything in a blender or grinder, adding a tablespoon of water if needed. Nothing is cooked. The source says mint can replace the coriander, or be mixed with it.

It suggests spreading it on crackers or in a sandwich, and, blended more coarsely, using it as a dip for chips or pakoras. Our dholl puri recipe serves it with a curry, a tomato rougail, achard and a coconut chatini.

Potato chatini: the cooked version

This one is cooked and ends up closer to a spiced mash. Another Mauritian recipe calls it a very simple vegetarian dish, often made with plenty of fried onion and dried red chillies, eaten with a rougaille or a broth, or tucked into a bread roll.

• 2 medium potatoes, 1 small onion, thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon of ground roasted cumin, a few curry leaves, finely sliced, 1 dried red chilli, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, black pepper, fresh coriander or parsley
• Cut the potatoes into cubes and steam them for 5 to 8 minutes until tender, then mash them while still warm.
• Fry the onion in the oil until translucent and golden, add the cumin, curry leaves and chilli, then the mash.
• Add salt and cook until the spices are well mixed, adding a little water if needed. Off the heat, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs, and serve warm.

The three recipes at a glance

What to serve it with

Chatini is a side, not a main dish. For a Mauritian meal, it goes with a chicken curry, a sausage rougaille, vegetable achard or a farata. For the island’s other dishes, see our guide to Mauritian cuisine.

How long it keeps

The sources give no storage time. They only say that chatinis, made from raw and very fresh ingredients, are best eaten soon after they are made. Make only what the meal needs, especially for the tomato and fresh-herb version.

Sources and checks

• La langue française: definition and origin of the word chatini
• Guide du Routard: food and drink in Mauritius
• Brinda Bungaroo: tomato chatini (chatini pomme d’amour)
• Brinda Bungaroo: potato chatini
• Kreol Magazine: coriander and coconut chutney