owes his cheffing career to his mum. She played a vital role in his interest in cooking, getting him on board at a young age to help at her busy marchand in front of a local textile factory.
"Mum worked full time, but she was always looking for a side hustle and so she started the stall. She would do very simple cooking, lots of roti, di pain frire and gâteaux piments [deep-fried, spicy split-pea fritters]," Subban says. "This is where I learned new skills and new dishes. There were a few stalls out front of the factory, but mum's was the most popular." Despite its popularity, the marchand shut up shop the day the textile factory did, putting an end to Subban's early cooking career.
Since he was an ocean man at heart, he became content with a new job sea fishing for Mauritius' coveted sturgeon fish. His mum wasn't quite as thrilled.
"One day, the ocean was really rough and we almost capsized. The next day, my neighbour came over and asked what I was doing that night and if I had any black pants. He said, 'Come on, we're going to the hotel'."
Subban was unexpectedly thrust into the Mauritian hospitality scene. "It's funny, later I learned that it was my mum who had done this, to get me out of the boat," he laughs.
When a representative from the local culinary school visited the hotel he was working at, he jumped at the chance to join. His drive and inherent skill got him far and in 2003, while still studying, he worked as a sous chef at the . From there, his career was cemented. He cooked his way around the kitchens of Mauritius' finest resorts and worked cruise ship galleys, before making the decision to relocate to Australia in 2008.
After working in Sydney for six years, Subban headed west to Perth. He drew on his resort training to found King Street Cafe, which later moved to Subiaco and became .
Selven Subban grew up eating gateaux piments. Source: Monique Ceccato
"I started out King Street Cafe as just a normal cafe," he says. "Then, one day, I offered a Mauritian chicken curry on the menu and everybody loved it."
When his customers asked for more Mauritian food, he obliged. Today, La Bouffe serves dishes like , roti and gâteaux piments. While they're all hits, Subban says it's the latter that speaks volumes about his home island.
Even Mauritians who have left Mauritius many, many years ago, all still talk about it.
Subban recalls eating thousands of gâteaux piments growing up. He loved to stuff them into fresh baguettes and top them with cheddar cheese for breakfast. "It was very typical on the weekend," he says. "We would go to the bakery and grab a fresh baguette, then we'd go home and eat it all with some vanilla tea and bananas from the guy across the road – the tea was essential."
Gâteaux piments, which can be likened to falafel, directly translates to 'chilli cakes' and are sold on almost every corner in Mauritius. "The ingredients we use in gâteaux piments, they have more of a South Indian flavour than falafel does," Subban says, adding that recipes vary. Some common additions include cumin seeds and extra chilli, although he prefers a rendition without.
Gateaux piments can be likened to falafel. Source: Monique Ceccato
"Tell me one Mauritian that doesn't like gâteaux piments," he says. "It's such a simple item but even Mauritians who have left Mauritius many, many years ago, all still talk about it. You can't explain it until you try. It's magical."
Photographs by Monique Ceccato.
Mauritian gâteaux piments
- 500 g split peas
- 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
- 1 handful coriander, curry leaves and spring onion, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 dried chillies, finely chopped
- 1 litre vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cumin seeds (optional)
Method
- Wash and soak the split peas overnight.
- Strain and grind the split peas into a fine paste, adding a little bit of water from time to time.
- In a mixing bowl, combine split peas with the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 175-180°C.
- Shape small balls from the mixture using your fingers.
- Fry balls in batches until golden brown.
- Strain and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
