It’s hard to believe now but there was a time in my life when my mum and I weren’t close. My childhood was pretty unconventional and I was one of those wild teens. My mum remarried when I was thirteen and my relationship with her new husband was pretty strained. He was from Mauritius and taught my mum to cook Mauritian cuisine. If you’re not familiar with it, the food of Mauritius is a real reflection of it’s history, with the majority of its influence stemming from French, Indian, and Chinese. It’s bloody delicious,as you could imagine. But as a disgruntled teenager I wanted no part of it. I guess it was my way of protesting.
We restored our relationship over the years, but it wasn’t until my son was born that something shifted. I guess I never really understood how difficult it is to be a mum, until I was one myself. My own mum was now supporting me in my new role, and ten years later she is still my rock and we are closer than ever. There are a million gestures of love and support that she gives me, but my most favourite is when she cooks for me. It just has a certain kind of magic, and makes me feel so cared for in a way that nothing else does.
Hilariously enough, all those Mauritian dishes that I once turned my nose up at are now my most preferred. Over the years my mum has tweaked and moulded these dishes to become her own. In French Creole this dish is called Salade aux Pomme du Terre, which translates to Salad of Fruits of the Earth. In other words – potato salad. But this one is my mum’s version and therefore is not a classic recipe. And I have to add that my mum never makes it (or anything else!) the same way twice. Sometimes she will add sweet potato or beetroot. If lettuce is around it may make an appearance too. It is constantly being adapted to what is in the house. Feel free to experiment too, as this is my take on my mums recipe, which is her ex-husbands recipe, which came from his mum. So basically it’s like a game of chinese whispers. Nevertheless it is delicious and I cannot recommend it enough. I ate it 3 times last week – that’s how much mum shows me love. And I could feel it, every single mouthful. 
Mauritian Potato + Vegetable Salad
Beetroot and sweet potato are a welcome addition, and if you eat meat tuna works really well this dish.
- 5 large potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 4 carrots
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- handful mixed salad leaves
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Add the potato and carrots to a large pot full of cold water. Do not bother peeling them. Put them over a high heat and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until done. Carrots will be first – use tongs to remove them then strain them over cold water. Check the potatoes with a sharp knife. As soon as it passes through to the centre with out resistance they are ready. Run them under cold water and leave to cool and dry completely. Use your hands to slip the skins off the veg.
- Cover the eggs with cold water in a pot. Bring to boil and remove from heat and let them stand for 7 minutes. Run them under cold water immediately and peel. Cut them into quarters and set aside.
- Roughly chop your cooled veg into medium-large pieces. Salt them very well, please do not be shy the salt is important. Add to a large salad bowl and add the oil and vinegar and use your hands to toss well. Add the onion and salad leaves and gently toss them through.
- Scatter with the boiled egg and finish with a good grinding of pepper.
Enough for 3 – 4 people. Keeps well in the fridge without the lettuce but I prefer it on the first day.
