Gato moutail
Food Recipe
Ingredients (makes 15-20)
450 grams plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
225 grams natural yoghurt at room temperature
1 tablespoon brown sugar
25 grams dried yeast
Vegetable oil for frying
For the syrup
10 cardamons
10 cloves
8 cms cinnamon stick
450 grams brown sugar
Optional:
2 tablespoons brandy
Method
Sift the flour and salt into a warmed large bowl, then gradually add the yoghurt and a little warm water to form a batter consistency of double cream. Add the sugar, stir in well, then sprinkle in the dried yeast. Cover with a clean tea towel and place in a warm place for 6 hours to allow yeast to work.
To make the syrup, bring 1 litre water to the boil in a heavy based saucepan together with the cardamons, cloves and cinnamon stick. Lower the heat, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly, without stirring, until the volume has reduced by half to a heavy syrup. Remove from heat but keep warm. Optional: Stir in 2 tablespoons of brandy.
Put the batter into a piping bag (used for cake decorating) with a very small opening, about 3 mm.
To fry the gateau moutail, heat the oil in a deep frying pan until a small spoonful of batter immediately starts to sizzle and float to the surface when dropped into pan.
Squeeze whirls of batter about 10 cms in diameter into the hot oil. Cook until the gateau moutails are golden brown in colour, then remove immediately with a perforated spoon and drain. Immerse the freshly cooked gateau moutails in the warm syrup for 5 minutes or so.
Remove, drain and serve. Enjoy, close your eyes and imagine you are in one of the bazars in Mauritius.
Source
Madeleine's recipe : Gato Moutail
Discover more of Madeleine’s Mauritian cuisine in
‘Best of Mauritian Cuisine’ by Madeleine and Clancy Philippe