Lentils, Meat & Lard Rougaille with Sauteed Akra!
- Stéphanie
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
A Mauritian classic that tastes like home.
This is one of those meals that takes me straight back to my childhood. Both my mum and grandmother used to make this, and every time I cook it, I can almost hear the clatter of their kitchen and smell the rougaille simmering away. It is truly a comfort meal, especially on a cold Mauritian winter evening. Three dishes cooked side by side, each one simple on its own, but together they create something really special. Serve it in a bowl if you are Mauritian at heart, with some homemade achard (Mauritian pickle) on the side, the way my grandmother does every year and shares generously with my siblings, or with a simple chilli. But that is truly up to you.
Servings
This recipe is for 4 servings
(Plus a little more for the next day lunch at work!)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (refrigerated for at least 2 days)
1 packet of lentils
3 cups of rice
2 cans of tomatoes
400g of mince meat (beef or lamb, whichever you prefer)
1 packet of frozen lard (optional: replace with turkey bacon or simply skip this step)
2 packets of fresh coriander
6 cloves of garlic
4 medium white onions
Sunflower oil
Rub Texan Steakhouse Seasoning and ground pepper to taste
Salt to your liking for the lentils soup
400g of akra (also known as lalo)
Instructions:
Prep all your ingredients: Start by chopping the onions and garlic into small, crushed pieces and finely chopping the coriander. Divide everything into three equal portions because you will be repeating a similar base for each of the three dishes. Set your rice aside to cook separately.
The Lentils: Pour hot water over the packet of lentils and let them soak for about half an hour. In a pan, turn the heat to high and add one tablespoon of sunflower oil. Add the first third of the onions, garlic and coriander and cook until golden. Add half a can of tomatoes and let it simmer until the pieces are well cooked and the paste is nearly dry. Pour in the lentils along with their soaking water, lower the heat and let it all simmer slowly but surely until the lentils are tender. Taste the seeds with a little spoon from time to time to check. You want the consistency to be neither too runny nor completely dry, just enough to generously cover your rice.
The Rougaille: In another pan, add two tablespoons of sunflower oil along with the second third of the onions, garlic and coriander and cook until golden. Add the lard, cut into small pieces, and let it cook until nicely golden. If you do not eat pork, no worries at all. Simply replace with turkey bacon or remove this step entirely. Once golden, add the mince meat (beef or lamb, as per your preference) and cook until there is no pinkish colour left in the pan. Add the remaining one and a half cans of tomatoes and a generous round of the rub seasoning. Cover and let it slow cook and simmer until the paste is creamy and no big chunks of tomatoes are visible. You can cook it further until it is nearly completely dry, allowing the flavours to condense beautifully.
The Sautéed Akra: Last but not least, in a non-stick pan, add one tablespoon of sunflower oil along with the remaining third of the onions, garlic and coriander and cook until golden. Pour in the chopped akra and add a round of the rub seasoning. It might feel sticky while cutting, and that is perfectly normal. Keep your heat high at all times and sauté uniformly, flipping rather than stirring. From start to finish, it requires about ten minutes. I personally like them on the crunchier side when I turn off the heat because they will carry on cooking with the residual warmth, but again that is entirely up to you. And voilà!
Watch me make it!
Serve and Enjoy!
Serve in a bowl (or a plate, but if you are Mauritian at heart, a bowl will always be your first choice). Start with the rice, add one or two ladles of lentils depending on whether you prefer it well soaked or on the drier side, then a serving of rougaille and a side of akra.
Bon Appetit!
Notes
The word "rougaille" itself reflects its Creole heritage, with linguistic ties tracing back to the Tamil word rougay. Historically, rougaille was a humble, budget-friendly dish made by families with whatever proteins were accessible. Traditional versions often featured salted fish (poisson salé), dried shrimp (sevrette) or simply peas. Today, it has evolved to include chicken, meat, corned beef or processed sausages (the beloved rougaille saucisse).
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