After all those Diwali sweets, I’m sure you must have a craving for something light, something crisp… something salty! Here’s a simple recipe for a popular Mauritian snack, the gato cravate, which will definitely curb your desire for a savoury tidbit. A pinch of asafoetida/hing is what I add to the dough if I’m making it for a special occasion but you can easily personalise it with a dash of your favourite spice. Maybe I should warn you in advance of the strong addictive nature of this homemade snack as you might have none left to serve to guests once you start sampling.

GATO CRAVATE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp ajinomoto

2 tbs vegetable oil

1/4 cup cold water

Vegetable oil, for frying

Method:

  • Dissolve salt in water. Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
  • Add baking powder, ajinomoto, oil and water. Knead to form a smooth, non sticky dough.

  • Roll out dough to about 0.5cm thick and cut into rectangles 7cm long x 3cm wide.
  • Make a vertical incision about 3 cm long through the centre of each piece of dough.

  • Push one end of the rectangle through the central incision to form a butterfly knot.
  • Shape all the pieces in a similar way while you heat oil in a large frying.

  • Deep fry dough on both sides until it is crisp and golden brown in colour.
  • Drain well on absorbent paper before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Deep Fried to Golden Perfection