The Best Mauritian Fish Vindaye (Step-by-Step)
This Mauritian Fish Vindaye is saucy and combines a wonderful mix of freshly ground achard masala paste, garlic and shallots. Try your hand at it, and double the recipe next time, because it is so irresistibly delicious that you might want more!
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil I used avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil optional but highly recommended, vegetable oil is a good substitute
- 1 pound swordfish cut in two-bite pieces, 500 g
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or tapioca starch
- 2 medium shallots roughly chopped, 1 cup, 60 g, 2.1 oz
- 5 cloves garlic sliced lengthwise
- 2 slices ginger or to taste
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds brown or black
- 3 tablespoons achard masala paste
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar or to taste
- 4 green chili peppers cut lengthwise, Indian green chili peppers or Thai green chili peppers
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare fish. Before getting anything started, make sure to soak up the excess moisture from the fish fillets. Put the fish on several layers of paper towels on a plate. Sprinkle with some salt and set aside while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Excess moisture can cause the hot oil to splash when you add the fish. Reducing the moisture in the fish as much as possible helps with the excess splashing. Your fish will also not sear if too much liquid is released into the oil.
- Heat vegetable oil. Pour oil in a large pan, preferably cast iron, on medium-high heat.
- Cook the fish. Once your oil is hot and ready, sprinkle the fish fillets with the corn starch and add to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes until slightly seared. Flip the fish over and cook until the fillets are about half-cooked, about 2 more minutes. No need to sear this side of the fish. I recommended cooking the fish to the half way point because you will add the fish in the pan again later and it will continue cooking then. Set half-cooked fish aside. Leave the used oil in the pan.
- Cook the shallot, garlic and ginger. Add the mustard oil to the used oil in the pan and heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add shallot and cook until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook briefly while stirring a couple of times, about 1 minute.
- Cook the spices. Add the mustard seeds and cook until some of them start popping, about 2 minutes. Make sure your oil is not smoking as you will burn the spices and cause them to turn bitter. Add the achard masala paste to the pan, cook for another 3 minutes. Make sure to stir everything well. If the oil is smoking a bit, add 1 tablespoon of water to bring down the heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Once you mix all the pan ingredients really well, add the white vinegar and salt. Give it a quick stir to mix it well with the spices then add the fish and green chili peppers. Gently mix everything. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar if needed.
- Serve. Enjoy this delicious Mauritian fish vindaye with a fresh baguette or even some rice. To store, simply let it come to room temperature and transfer into a container. This dish keeps well in the fridge for several days and the flavor will develop over time. You can top it with some mustard oil if you would like it to last for a few weeks.
Notes
Note: I recommend reading the "Tips and Tricks for a Successful Mauritian Fish Vindaye" section before making the vindaye.