The dishes and dishes of Réunion

rougail Sausage

Rougail sausage is the most representative dish in the cuisine of Reunion Island. Simple and economical, it only requires a few products as long as you follow the authentic recipe. Plain or smoked, fresh pork sausages, that is to say smoked, tomatoes, onions and a little olive oil. The rougail sausage will be accompanied like most Reunion dishes by white rice, saffron rice or zembrocal, a mixture of white rice, potato and turmeric, saffron from Reunion. It is a complete and substantial dish, ideal for calming the stomachs of the most greedy and it is nonetheless tasty for the most demanding palates. On your forks! Rougail Sausage Recipe

Curry Ti Jack smoked by Chef Kelly

In her program “voyages et délices”, the starred Reunionese chef Kelly Rangama likes to reinvent the recipes of traditional cuisine. She has decided to make your mouth water by revisiting a typical dish from Reunion Island, the curry ti'jacques boucané in a gazpacho version. At the bottom of a deep plate stands the gazpacho, a mixture of mixed tomatoes, onions, garlic and saffron. After having dried the thin slices of smoked bacon in the oven, Kelly crushes them and sprinkles them over the soup, bringing a unique smoky taste. Without forgetting the main ingredient, the ti'jacques sosso, jackfruit fruit which is here used as a vegetable cooked in a stewed, spread on a toast of bread and placed on the edge of the plate. A real treat ! Ti-Jack Curry Recipe

Cabri Massalé

The cabri massalé, of Indian origin, is one of the most popular dishes in Réunion. It is one of the flagship recipes of the Tamil New Year and represented one of the specialties of the Reunionese chef Christian Antou. Mixture of many spices, goat or goat meat, tomatoes stewed with massalé and turmeric, this dish must simmer for at least an hour before you can enjoy it at its true value. It is then served with its Creole rice and accompanied by a spicy tomato rougail according to your tastes and desires. For the training and in order to respect the tradition until the end, the goat massalé is presented in a banana leaf and is eaten with the fingers. Enjoy your meal ! Cabri Massalé recipe

Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is the most common dish in Reunion, along with sausage rougail. Its preparation is easy and tasty, enough to satisfy the people who cook it and those who taste it. On the intense island, the base of the curry is meat or fish simmered with tomato, onion, pei saffron, garlic and thyme. To serve it properly, we have the rice, then on top of the legumes such as white beans or Cilaos lentils and to finish the curry. For those who wish, a rougail, a spicy accompanying sauce not to be confused with the rougail dish, is served separately. It's up to you to add some to your chicken curry! Chicken Curry Recipe

Civet Zourit

On Reunion Island, the zourite is a young octopus that hides in the lagoons of the coast. You will also hear of zourite civet, the term civet being used in Reunion Island when adding wine in the preparation of the curry. If the recipe is rather simple to make, cleaning the octopus gives a little more trouble. Its tentacles are covered in mucus that is difficult to remove, and its flesh will need to be tenderized to become tasty. Zourite stew consists of pieces of octopus, onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric and thyme. All accompanied of course by rice and a green mango or tomato rougail which goes well with the zourite. Good tasting ! Civet Zourit recipe

Smoked rougail

A little less well-known than its big brother the sausage rougail, the boucané rougail remains a delicious and typical dish of Reunion Island. Smoked meat means that it has been prepared and smoked. It is passed in a mixture of salt, thyme, pepper, cloves and nutmeg which rests overnight, then it is smoked over a wood fire hung in a specific cabinet for 24 hours. The trick is to combine fatty and lean smoked meat which will provide different textures. The other ingredients are those of the Rougail dish, tomatoes, onions and a little olive oil. Some add garlic and turmeric, which always launches eternal debates on the preparation of traditional Reunionese rougail. Rougail Boucané recipe

Bichique curry

Le bichique est un alevin d’eau douce de saison très prisé à l’île de la Réunion. Ce petit poisson au goût inimitable est aussi très cher et de plus en plus rare du fait de la surpêche. Sur l’île intense, le bichique est surnommé le caviar péi. La délicatesse est le meilleur allié pour réussir le cari bichique, les alevins sont cuits entiers et ne doivent pas se casser pendant le mélange ou le service pour conserver tous leurs arômes. Il conviendra de mettre les produits habituels du cari, oignons et tomates émincés, ail pilé, ainsi que du thym et du safran péi. Servi avec son incontournable riz, les Réunionnais aiment l’accompagner d’un rougail mangue verte, mais vous pouvez choisir parmi les nombreuses déclinaisons de rougail. Recette du Cari Bichique

Camaron curry

Camaron curry from Reunion Island is particularly sought after during the Christmas holidays. Camaron, a large freshwater tiger prawn with firm flesh, reveals all its character thanks to garlic, pepper and ginger. This is very good since these ingredients are part of Reunion Island curry and although ginger is optional in the original curry recipes, it will harmonize perfectly with the camaron. It only remains to add the tomatoes, onions, thyme and turmeric. And the final step, proceed with the ritual of dressing, white or yellow rice, grains, beans or even Cape peas and curry. Set aside a lemon rougail. Treat yourself ! Recipe for Camaron Curry or Shrimp Curry

Cary Pork Potato

With the pork potato curry, we are still using the basic Reunionese curry recipe with one small exception, the tomatoes. And yes, there are no tomatoes in this dish, enough to satisfy the defenders of “lontan” Creole cuisine (from the past). The tomato was invited quite recently in the Reunion Island curry. Following the evolution of the standard of living and the techniques of production, this fruit is found all year round on the intense island in self-sufficiency. We will therefore find pork, if possible a fairly fatty piece such as the shoulder for example, potatoes, onion, garlic, thyme and turmeric. The curry will be placed on its bed of grains and rice. To devour without moderation! Pork Curry Potato Recipe

Find other recipes from Reunion Island in our blog