Rougaille Saucisses (Mauritian Sausages in Spiced Tomato Sauce)
Local name: Rougaille saucisses
In short: Browned sausages simmered in a Creole tomato sauce of onion, garlic, ginger, thyme and chili, served over rice. A Mauritian everyday dish. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 470 kcal
Rougaille is the Creole tomato sauce behind many Mauritian meals. Onion, garlic, ginger and thyme are cooked down with ripe tomatoes and a little chili until thick and fragrant, then used for fish, eggs, salt fish, chicken or sausages. Rougaille saucisses is the quick weeknight version, with sliced sausages browned first so the sauce picks up their flavor. Serve it with rice and a thin yellow split pea soup called dholl, if you have it.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wide pan and brown the sausage pieces over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Lift them out, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the onions and cook for 6 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger and thyme for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and turmeric, stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, chili and salt.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce.
- Return the sausages to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, until cooked through (74°C / 165°F inside, which is safe for both pork and chicken sausages) and glazed with sauce.
- Remove the thyme stems, stir in the coriander and serve over rice.
Tips
- Brown the sausages well. The browned bits and rendered fat give the sauce its depth, so do not rush this step.
- Rougaille also works with eggs, canned fish or shrimp. For eggs, make small wells in the finished sauce and poach them for 5 minutes.
Questions and answers
What is rougaille?
A Creole tomato sauce built on onion, garlic, ginger and thyme, with chili to taste. It is the base for sausages, fish, eggs, salt fish and many other everyday dishes.
Can I make rougaille ahead of time?
Yes. The sauce keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months. Add fresh sausages or reheat the sausages in it.
What do you serve with rougaille saucisses?
Rice is the standard. Many families add dholl (a thin yellow split pea soup), a fresh coriander chutney or a baguette to mop up the sauce.
How long does it take to make Rougaille Saucisses (Mauritian Sausages in Spiced Tomato Sauce)?
About 50 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Rougaille Saucisses (Mauritian Sausages in Spiced Tomato Sauce)?
About 470 kcal per serving, with 20 g of protein, 14 g of carbohydrates and 37 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 470 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Fat | 37 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
