Port-Louis is the capital city of Mauritius, the place I was born and grew up in!
When you travel to Mauritius and it's capital city, you have to be prepared for a colourful, turbulent and adventurous experience and let Port-Louis sweep you away!
There are several overlapping versions of this place, each independent and seemingly the only one; the people living inside of them are not aware that just next door there is another piece of the same cake, 'farata' (roti/naan bread) of the dough, 'bouillon brede' (leafy soup) from the same plant, 'bryani' (typical mauritian rice dish) from the same pot and 'boulettes' (meat, fish or vegetables balls) from the same broth going on.
But, at last, they all mingle and form this one unique sizzling brew called Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius, famous for its heat, traffic jams, street vendors, great food stands and weekly markets.
And if there is definately one thing not to miss while in Port-Louis is to stop by 'La Rue Royale' (Royal Street) for it's famous 'boulettes' (meat/fish/vegetables balls) food stand. And one of the most loved boulettes is of course the 'Boulettes Chouchou' (Choko Meatballs).
The choko meatballs are made with choko of course (chouchou as we call them in Mauritius), prawn, pork or beef or lamb. We also usually eat the 'Boulettes Chouchou' (choko meatballs) with a broth (soup) that also contains fish balls, and wantans etc...
So here is my version of the 'Boulettes Chouchou' (Choko Meatballs) Recipe:
Ingredients needed:
- 600 grams grated chokoes, drained
- 300 grams minced pork (or beef, or lamb)
- 200 grams minced green prawns, shelled
- 1 medium onion finely chopped or grated
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cornflour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Salt to taste
To prepare the 'Boulettes Chouchou', you need to first shell and de-vein the prawns.
Finely chop the prawns to a minced meat consistency, then put aside in the fridge.
Before preparing the chokoes for this dish, it is best to protect your hands, as the juice from the chokoes will leave a dry, stickly skin like thing on your hands. I used gloves, but you can also rub oil over your hands.
Now that your hands are protected, go ahead and peel the chokoes. Cut them into quarters and trim away the peel and center bits. Soak the chokoes into cold water. Then corsely grate the chokoes and put aside in another dish. Hand strain the grated chokoes and allow to drain in a colander.
Finely chop the medium onion and mix it with the mince pork (or beef) and minced prawns. Season well with salt to taste. Add the light soy sauce and fish sauce and mix well by hand. Add the grated chokoes and mix well into the pork (or beef) and prawn mixture. Gradually mix in the cornflour and hand mix well.
Cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge for 20 mins.
Meanwhile, prepare the steamer and put on slow simmer.
Using little quantities of the mixture, make small meatballs of approximately 3cm in diameter.
Place the meatballs in the steamer and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked.
Check by breaking one meatball in half to see if it is cooked inside.
Enjoy this delightful 'Boulettes Chouchou' either as a snack, served with chilli sauce or with other 'boulettes' (fish balls, wantans, dim sim etc) in a broth.
And always sprinkle with finely chopped chives or spring onions and chilli sauce of course!
Oh man.... I'm hungry again!! ;))
