When you pay R30 000 for that Mauritius vacation, the last thing you need is to end up paying about R20 000 more just because you didn't know how expensive the menu would be.

To avoid this pitfall it might be a great idea to open your mind and mouth to the street food on offer.

Roti pratha

Don't leave the island without trying the pratha roti. It's a little indulgent because the flat bread is pan fried in ghee or cooking oil. The bread is then stuffed with fillings like potatoes, cauliflower or cheese.

You can also stuff them with meat curries, topped up with pickles and yoghurt, chutney, tomato based sauces, or chilli. They are best consumed piping hot. And they're just like pancakes; savoury pancakes for a hearty lunch fill-up.

Our favourite: The chilli and potato curry roti.

Samoosas

South Africans love their samoosas. But rather than a generic supermarket bought one, how about an authentic street meat in Mauritius? They are also deep fried but since you’re on vacation, cheap and indulgent is welcome.

Expect the usual curry fillings. And you can dip them in various kinds of chutneys, whether it's tamarind, coriander or mint. It's all good. Non-vegetarian samoosas sometimes come with fish fillings, or minced meat.

Our favourite: The spicy potato and onion version.

Gato piments

If you like dhal you'll really adore these. They are not quite like dhal but they are made from the same kind of split peas. The softened peas are blended together with red or green chillies, coriander leaves, spring onions, and various spices.

The mixture is then rolled up and deep fried. The result is yummy crunchy fried bites, generally known as a chilli cakes.

Our favourite: About one of these every minute or so.

Dholl puris
These are some of the most popular street meats. They're made from flat bread, almost the same kind they use for a roti. The flat bread is then lined with a layer of yellow split peas, just like the ones from chilli cakes.

You can top puris with pickles of your choice, a variety of vegetables and chutney of your choice.

Our favourite: The dholl puri topped with hot sauce.

Quick tastes

When you're being lazy at the beach don't let a chilli pineapple pass you by without trying it.

Other chilli-fied snacks include baby guavas in chilli and mango strips pickled in salt and… you guessed it, chilli.

When it comes to drinks, remember street drinks aren't that refreshing so make sure you pick a stall whose ice you can see.

If you’re just looking for a nice drink then try a lassi (a yoghurt and ice cream drink - and the mango version rocks), coconut milk (try the minty version), or alouda ( a milky drink made from milk, water, vanilla essence, basil seeds, sugar and crushed ice).

Remember, most of the street meats don't cost more than 10 MUR (about R3) a piece.

Eat all the Mauritian street food you want with these deals.

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