The Island Kitchen: Recipes from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean
SynopsisPlot
This ravishing cookbook will take you on a journey around the Indian Ocean islands, to taste the flavours of the colourful markets of Mauritius, the aromatic spice gardens of the Seychelles, the fishing coasts of the Maldives, the lagoons of Mayotte and the forests of Madagascar. Selina Periampillai, born in London but of Mauritian descent, celebrates the vibrant home-cooking of the islands, with dishes such as Sticky chicken with garlic & ginger, Mustard- & turmeric-marinated tuna, Seychellois aubergine & chickpea cari, and Pineapple upside-down cake with cardamom cream.
Story
About this book
Selina Periampillai grew up in London with family roots in Mauritius, and this cookbook draws on home cooking from several Indian Ocean island groups. Recipes come from Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Maldives, Mayotte, and Madagascar, each contributing its own ingredients and methods. Around 80 dishes range from quick weeknight meals to larger gatherings, reflecting kitchens where African, South Asian, East Asian, and European influences overlap.
The focus is accessible home cooking rather than restaurant technique. Dishes include sticky chicken with garlic and ginger, mustard- and turmeric-marinated tuna, a Seychellois aubergine and chickpea cari, and pineapple upside-down cake with cardamom cream. The range moves between fish from island coasts, spice-led vegetable preparations, and desserts shaped by tropical fruit and warm spices. Rum appears too, in recipes meant for social cooking.
Photography and illustrations accompany the recipes, which move through market stalls, spice gardens, fishing coasts, lagoons, and forest interiors. Mauritius sits roughly 2,000 kilometres off the southeast coast of Africa, while Mayotte and Madagascar lie farther west, so the recipes cover a wide arc of ocean and several distinct island kitchens.
