Fiery, slightly tangy and hard-to-resist, the Mauritian Mazavaroo Chili Paste is a staple in the Mauritian kitchen. I have been enjoying it since I was young. When I was about 8 years old, I came home famished after school and just could not wait to devour a mine Apollo soup (Mauritian instant noodle soup) with loads of red chili paste. I have a clear memory of my uncle asking: “Can you even taste the soup?” Yes, yes I can, uncle. And you know what I’m gonna say: the store-bought ones cannot match the freshly prepared ones. It is very quick to make your own so what are you waiting for?!
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What is Mauritian mazavaroo chili paste?
Mauritian Mazavaroo Chili Paste, also known as piment écrasé (French) or pima crazé (Créole), is a traditional chili paste originating from Mauritius. We use a combination of green or red small fiery chili peppers (ti pima), garlic, ginger, vinegar, salt, oil and optional ingredients such as onion, wild small river shrimp, dried Asian shrimp, lemon or lime juice and lemon or lime zest.
The ingredients are blended in a food processor or ground into a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. You can enjoy it as is without cooking, or gently stir-fried it in a pan. I am not exaggerating when I say that Mauritians use this on literally everything, from Indian street foods to homemade Chinese dumplings. You would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that does not carry its own. Some restaurants even leave a jar of both green and red chili on the tables where patrons can use them to their heart’s delight!
If you like to have a go at another Mauritian condiment favorite, check out my Simple Green Chili Achard recipe.
How do we use it?
One of my favorite ways to enjoy Mazavaroo chili paste is with a delicious homemade Mauritian Chicken Briani, our briani recipe is worth perusing. Mauritians use this chili paste on almost everything! Below are some examples from my latest trip to Mauritius in 2023.
Chinese Restaurant
in a supermarket
with saucy red chili paste
green chili paste and a baguette
Ingredients, additions and swaps
Wild small river shrimp (only available in Mauritius)
By “small”, I mean teensy. These wild river shrimp measure about one centimeter long, or just shy of a half inch, and can be found in the rivers of villages across Mauritius. They were very common back in the day but are now becoming scarce. Consequently, people do not include them in mazavaroo too frequently anymore. You can only find these types of wild shrimp in Mauritius and they are packed with savory goodness. To include them in your mazavaroo, wash them several times to eliminate foreign matter, then dry roast until the shells darken in color, and finally pound them with a mortar and pestle before incorporating in your recipe.
Dried small shrimp
To add another layer of umami to your mazavaroo chili paste, incorporate some dried Asian shrimp to your mazavaroo. You can find these in any Asian supermarket, and although they vary in sizes, the most common ones you will find usually range from tiny to small. Soak one to two tablespoons of dried shrimp with warm water until soft (takes about 30 mins), chop finely, sautée in a pan until fragrant, and finally add the rest of your chili paste ingredients.
Garlic and ginger
Garlic and ginger are considered essential ingredients and should therefore not be omitted when making mazavaroo chili paste. However, if you are sensitive to garlic, you can omit and increase the amount of ginger.
Vinegar and lemon or lime juice
Another essential component of a proper mazavaroo recipe includes a tangy element. Use any one of the following or a combination: vinegar, lemon juice and its zest, or lime juice and its zest. I am not married to a favorite combo and I tend to mix them up but I feel like a vinegar and lime juice combo evokes the street foods of Mauritius the most!
My version
My mazavaroo chili paste is basic, simple and to the point. On any given day, I have a variety of chili pastes in my fridge so I prepare basic versions of each and mix them up if an occasion calls for it. In the previous section, I have provided other ingredients that you can add to yours to make it even more exciting. So feel free to experiment!
Funnily enough, my take on mazavaroo has loosely been inspired by Shaun, a chili pepper aficionado by the nickname of ChilliChump who grew up in South Africa. ChilliChump fell in love with our chili paste during his visit to Mauritius and asked the restaurant for the recipe. Watch him make his Mauritian mazavaroo. I was quite taken by the simplicity of that recipe and decided to marry it with my own to bring you this version.
It is worth noting that my updated version of green chili paste is cooked and contains yellow onion, garlic, ginger, white vinegar, lemon juice, vegetable oil and salt. It does not take long to cook, and cooked chili peppers are easier on the stomach, bonus! I also like to top it with a little oil to extend its shelf life.
Reasons to love this recipe
- Very quick: You can make this in about 20-25 minutes max, including preparation time.
- Simple Ingredients: It contains only 7 basic ingredients, including salt.
- Keeps for a long time: It will keep in the fridge for weeks. Top it with vegetable oil to extend its shelf life.
- Freezer-friendly: Double the batch and freeze 1 jar for later.
- Zesty and fiery condiment: This green chili paste will bring all your dishes to life, especially those simpler mid-week dishes.
- Vegan: This recipe does not contain any animal product.
Recipe ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Mauritian Green Chili Paste:
- Green chili peppers (Thai, birds eye, ti pima)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Onion
- Vegetable oil
- White vinegar
- Lemon juice (or lime juice)
- Salt
Storage
Let the green chili paste cool down completely so it does not trap moisture. You can store it in a sterilized jar in the fridge for a few weeks. Top it with vegetable oil if you want it to keep for longer. It freezes well and keeps for several months that way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can use a mortar and pestle, blender, or a food processor to grind your ingredients. However, all of this can be achieved by hand if you do not mind chopping the ingredients very finely with a knife.
It is very quick and easy to make. It takes roughly 15 minutes from beginning to end.
Yes! This recipe calls for Thai chili peppers and it is a chili paste that does not contain any sugar to tame it, so it is very spicy. There are three ways to make a milder version:
1 Add dried shrimp
2. Increase the amount of onion, garlic and ginger
3. Incorporate more acid or oil
4. Remove the seeds and membrane (the membrane is where the heat is at) of the chili peppers
Yes, this Mauritian mazavaroo freezes really well and keeps for months in the freezer.
Basic Mauritian Mazavaroo Chili Paste Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mortar and pestle (this is ideal to grind the paste but not essential)
- 1 Blender (you can use a blender or food processor instead to make the chopping easier. This is also not essential as you can do it by hand)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Thai green chili peppers chopped, 60 g, 2.1 oz
- ¼ cup onion roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger chopped, about 1 inch
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or lime juice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or any other neutral oil
- ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Blend the ingredients. In a blender or a food processor, add all the ingredients except the oil and salt, and process to a fine paste. Alternatively, you can chop the green chili peppers, onion, garlic and ginger very finely by hand, then mix the white vinegar and lemon juice in to make a paste. Set paste aside.
- Heat vegetable oil. Add vegetable oil to a medium saucepan, preferably cast-iron, and heat oil on medium to high heat.
- Cook all ingredients. Once the oil is just hot, add the paste along with the salt. You know the oil is just hot when it begins shimmering. You do not want your oil to be too hot because the chili paste could burn. Cook until the green chili darkens in color, about 8 minutes. Gently mix everything. Taste and adjust the salt, white vinegar and lemon juice, if needed.
- Serve. Enjoy this delicious chili paste with a variety of dishes of your choice. It, of course, goes especially well with non-spicy Mauritian dishes.
- Storage. To store, let the paste come to room temperature before transferring into a container. It keeps well in the fridge for several days and the flavor will develop over time. You can top it with some vegetable oil if you would like it to last for a few weeks.
Notes
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