Quesbo Little Chefs · Cooking adventures around the world
A soft flatbread. A colourful noodle bowl.
A little coconut treat.
Roll dholl puri, discover Mauritian fried noodles and bake coconut macaroons. Three family recipes and a new stamp for your tasty passport.
Bonzour! — Hello! Welcome to a new stop in Quesbo’s Cooking Adventures Around the World. Find a grown-up cooking companion, choose a recipe and take your time. There are soft flatbreads, colourful noodles and golden coconut bites to discover together.
Our menu explores three approachable tastes of Mauritius: dholl puri, soft flatbreads with a fine yellow split-pea filling; mine frit, fried noodles with vegetables and egg; and little baked coconut macaroons. These family adaptations keep chilli out of the shared dishes and give children useful jobs alongside their grown-up. Choose one recipe today or spread your adventure across several cooking sessions. Follow the individual timings and yields below, including time for soaking, resting and cooling.
Choose your first taste
A little taste of Mauritius
This little menu explores three very different textures: a soft flatbread with fine split peas inside, noodles with vegetables and egg, and coconut macaroons with golden edges. Mauritius has many food traditions, and families make these dishes in different ways. Our versions keep the seasoning gentle and make space for little chefs to help. A little patience makes the cooking journey easier.
Quesbo’s imaginary passport adventure
Quesbo opened the cooking passport to an imaginary island kitchen in Mauritius. The little chefs wanted to roll their flatbreads straight away, but the dough needed a rest. They set a timer with their grown-up and used the waiting time to count plates and draw a coconut in the notebook. Later, the macaroons smelled delicious as they came from the oven. This time the team remembered to wait for them to cool. When everyone was ready to eat, Quesbo added PATIENCE to the passport. Some kitchen discoveries happen while you are waiting.
Which part of your recipe needs time, and what helpful job could you do while you wait?
Soft flatbreads to fold 01 / 03
Soft Dholl Puri
Thin flatbreads filled with gently spiced yellow split peas
These soft Mauritian flatbreads hide a fine filling of cooked yellow split peas. Making them is a small kitchen project: the peas need soaking, the dough needs a rest, and gentle rolling helps keep the filling inside. Little chefs can weigh and count while a grown-up handles the boiling water, food processor and hot pan.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 100 g dried yellow split peas, not red lentils
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- A small pinch of fine salt, optional
- Plenty of water for soaking and boiling
For the dough
- 300 g plain flour, plus a little for dusting
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed or sunflower
- About 180 ml lukewarm water, plus a little more if needed
- 1–2 tbsp neutral oil for brushing the pan and breads
Optional at the table
- A little of your family’s usual mild vegetable curry or chutney, prepared separately
- Chilli sauce for grown-ups, served separately if wanted
Cook together
Little hands can- Weigh flour and spices with a grown-up.
- Count eight dough pieces and eight portions of cooled filling.
- Help press and gently roll cool dough, washing hands afterwards.
- Soak and thoroughly cook the peas, drain hot water and use the food processor.
- Help seal and roll the filled dough without tearing it.
- Handle the hot pan and check the breads are cooked and cool enough to eat.
Mixing bowls, scales and measuring jug, Saucepan and fine sieve, Clean tray and food processor, Rolling pin, board and clean tea towels, Flat non-stick frying pan, pastry brush and spatula
Let’s cook
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Soak, then cook the peas
The day before, sort through the peas, rinse them and cover generously with cold water in a bowl. Leave covered in the fridge overnight, about 8–12 hours, or follow the packet’s soaking instructions. Next day, drain and rinse. An adult covers them with plenty of fresh water in a saucepan, brings it to the boil and follows the packet’s full cooking instructions; many brands call for 10 minutes of brisk boiling followed by 40–45 minutes of simmering. Add water if needed. They must be fully tender, but aim to stop before they become a loose purée.
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Make a dry, fine filling
The adult drains the peas very thoroughly and spreads them in a thin layer on a clean tray to steam-dry and cool for about 20 minutes. There should be no puddles of water. If very wet, stir them briefly in a dry saucepan over low heat first, then cool. An adult pulses the cooled peas with the cumin and optional pinch of salt in a food processor until they resemble fine, loose crumbs. Scrape down between pulses with the machine unplugged. Do not add water or turn the filling into a wet paste.
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Mix and rest the dough
While the peas cool, children can help weigh the flour, turmeric and salt into a bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and gradually mix in the lukewarm water. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and soft; add extra water a teaspoon at a time if dry, or a little flour if very sticky. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and rest for 30 minutes. Never taste raw dough or flour, and wash hands and surfaces after handling them.
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Fill eight little parcels
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roughly 60 g each, and the filling into 8 portions. Keep unused dough covered. Flatten one piece into a cup about 10 cm wide, put a portion of filling in the centre, then lift the edges around it and pinch the seam firmly closed. Turn seam-side down. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll into a thin round about 18–20 cm across, turning it as you roll. Press lightly so the filling does not burst through; pinch any small tear closed. Repeat, keeping the rounds covered and separated so they do not stick.
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Cook until softly speckled
A grown-up heats a flat non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and brushes it lightly with oil. Cook one bread for about 1½–2 minutes, until the surface loses its raw look and small bubbles appear. Brush the upper side lightly with oil, turn with a spatula and cook for another 1½–2 minutes. It should have light brown spots and no raw dough patches while remaining flexible. Adjust the heat if it browns too fast. Stack cooked breads under a clean tea towel to keep them soft; repeat with all eight.
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Fold and serve warm
The adult checks a bread is cooked through and comfortably warm before children handle it. Serve plain first so everyone can see the thin split-pea layer, or add a little separately prepared mild curry or chutney and fold. Let children choose a filling they enjoy. Keep any hot chilli sauce in a separate dish for grown-ups. Preparation time for these optional accompaniments is not included above.
From the table: Dholl puri is a familiar Mauritian street-food flatbread with cooked split peas enclosed in a thin dough. It is often folded around curry, chutney or pickled vegetables. Our version keeps the filling mild and lets each family choose what to add at the table.
↑ Back to the recipe menuA colourful noodle bowl 02 / 03
Mauritian Fried Noodles
Mild mine frit with vegetables and ribbons of cooked egg
Mine frit brings springy noodles, vegetables and savoury seasoning together in a hot pan. This meat-free family version uses carrot, cabbage and thin omelette strips, with no chilli in the shared dish. Get everything ready before the grown-up starts stir-frying: the cooking moves quickly.
Ingredients
For the noodles and vegetables
- 600 g fresh refrigerated egg noodles, prepared as the packet directs; this is not the weight for dried noodles
- 3 medium eggs
- 2 medium carrots, about 150 g, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 200 g white cabbage, finely shredded
- 3 spring onions, sliced, with white and green parts kept separate
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
For the gentle seasoning
- 2 tbsp reduced-salt light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, optional
- A small pinch of black pepper, optional
Cook together
Little hands can- Weigh noodles and help mix the sauce before raw eggs are handled.
- Sort the prepared vegetables into separate bowls with clean hands.
- Choose four bowls and spot the different colours at the table.
- Chop vegetables, prepare the noodles and handle boiling water.
- Cook the omelette thoroughly and use the hot wok or pan.
- Cut noodles when needed and check children’s serving temperatures.
Knife, board and bowls for prepared ingredients, Large non-stick frying pan or wok, Saucepan and colander if the noodles require boiling, Tongs, spatula and measuring spoons, Clean board for the cooked omelette
Let’s cook
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Prepare everything before heating the pan
Wash hands and vegetables. A grown-up cuts the carrots into thin matchsticks, shreds the cabbage and chops the spring onions and garlic. Children can weigh the noodles and mix the two soy sauces, vinegar and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. An adult cracks the eggs into another bowl, checks for shell and beats them. Keep the raw egg mixture separate from ready-to-eat food and do not taste it.
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Prepare the noodles
An adult prepares the fresh egg noodles according to their packet: some need boiling, others only loosening before stir-frying. If boiled, drain well and toss with 1 tsp of the measured neutral oil. Use them promptly rather than leaving them on the worktop. Gently separate any clumps with tongs. Do not substitute 600 g of dried noodles, which would make a much larger batch.
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Make the egg ribbons
Heat 1 tsp of the measured neutral oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. The adult pours in the beaten eggs, tilts the pan to spread them and cooks for about 2–3 minutes until the base is set. Turn carefully, or fold and turn in sections, and cook the other side until no liquid egg remains. Transfer to a clean board, let it cool briefly, then roll or stack and slice into thin ribbons. Keep the cooked egg away from the raw-egg bowl.
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Stir-fry the vegetables
The grown-up adds the remaining neutral oil to the large pan or a wok over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, cabbage and white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for about 4–5 minutes until the vegetables are hot and tender enough for your family, adding the garlic for the last 30 seconds. If the pan is too crowded to stir easily, cook in two batches and divide the noodles and sauce between them. Keep children away from the hot pan and any splashes.
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Toss the noodles and sauce
Add the prepared noodles and sauce mixture. Use tongs or two spatulas to lift and turn everything for about 3–4 minutes, until the noodles are steaming hot throughout and evenly coated. Add a small splash of water only if they catch. Fold in the omelette ribbons, spring-onion greens, optional sesame oil and optional pepper. Cook for another minute until all the egg is hot again. There is no need to add salt before tasting the finished dish.
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Share the colourful bowl
Divide into four bowls. An adult lets children’s portions cool to a comfortable temperature and cuts long noodles into shorter lengths where helpful. Let everyone spot the orange carrot, pale cabbage, green onion and yellow egg. Serve straight away while the noodles are springy. Any chilli sauce can be offered separately to grown-ups rather than mixed into the family pan.
From the table: Mauritian fried noodles are also called mine frit, mine frire or mine frite. They reflect the island’s Chinese cooking traditions and appear in many combinations, including vegetables, egg, meat or seafood. This recipe is a mild vegetable-and-egg adaptation for cooking together at home.
↑ Back to the recipe menuA little coconut finish 03 / 03
Coconut Macaroons
Little baked coconut cakes with golden edges and chewy middles
These little coconut cakes make a sweet finish to our Mauritius adventure. This version combines coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and whisked egg white. Children can measure and scoop, while the grown-up manages the egg, mixer and oven. Wait for them to cool before discovering the soft middle.
Ingredients
For the coconut cakes
- 200 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 200 g sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cook together
Little hands can- Weigh coconut and condensed milk and measure vanilla.
- Stir the coconut mixture before the egg white is added.
- Count and scoop sixteen mounds on a cool tray with supervision.
- Separate the egg and manage the whisk or electric mixer.
- Use the oven and hot baking tray.
- Check the macaroons are cooked and cool before serving.
Large baking tray and baking paper, Two mixing bowls and scales, Hand whisk or electric hand mixer, Spatula and two spoons or small scoop, Oven gloves and wire cooling rack
Let’s cook
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Prepare the tray and ingredients
Wash hands. A grown-up heats the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan and lines a large baking tray with baking paper. Children can weigh the coconut and condensed milk and measure the vanilla. An adult separates the egg, putting the white into a clean, dry bowl with no yolk in it. Keep the yolk chilled for another cooked recipe and follow safe storage guidance.
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Make the sticky coconut mixture
Stir the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla together in a mixing bowl until all the coconut is coated. The mixture should be thick and sticky rather than runny. Scrape down the sides so no dry pockets remain. Children can help with this mixing before the raw egg white is added.
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Whisk and fold the egg white
A grown-up whisks the egg white with a hand whisk or electric mixer until it makes firm peaks that hold their shape when the whisk is lifted. If using an electric mixer, keep fingers and loose clothing away and switch it off before scraping the bowl. Stir a spoonful of the white into the coconut mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently. Do not taste the uncooked mixture; wash hands and tools that touched raw egg.
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Scoop sixteen small mounds
Using two spoons or a small scoop, divide the mixture into 16 compact mounds, about 25–30 g each, on the cool lined tray. Leave a few centimetres between them. Children can help count and scoop with adult supervision, keeping fingers and spoons away from mouths. Press any loose coconut flakes back against the mounds so they do not burn by themselves.
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Bake until lightly golden
The adult puts the tray on the middle shelf and bakes for about 25–30 minutes, until the bases and tips are golden and the cakes hold their shape. Check from 25 minutes and give them a little longer if the centres still look wet; they should remain chewy rather than dry. If one side colours faster, an adult carefully turns the tray. Use oven gloves whenever handling the hot tray.
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Cool, then discover the middle
Leave the macaroons on the tray for about 10 minutes so they firm up. A grown-up moves them to a wire rack to cool for at least another 10 minutes, until comfortably cool throughout. Break one open to see the coconut inside before sharing. Offer one small macaroon at a time and save the rest for another day.
From the table: Coconut macaroons are part of the sweet cooking shared by Mauritian cooks, and similar coconut cakes are enjoyed in many places. These are baked coconut mounds, sometimes called rocher coco or macaron coco in Mauritian recipes; they are different from the smooth, filled French macarons with a similar name.
↑ Back to the recipe menuThree words for your cooking notebook
Dholl puri: A soft Mauritian flatbread with finely ground yellow split peas enclosed inside the dough.
Mine frit: Mauritian fried noodles. Our version uses vegetables and strips of cooked egg.
Coconut macaroon: A small coconut-rich bake. It is different from a smooth sandwich macaron.
Your tasty passport · Mauritius
You waited. You practised.
You made something together.
A patient cook gives every stage the time it needs. While dough rests or a tray cools, there are other helpful jobs to do. Follow your grown-up’s guidance and taste only when the food is ready and comfortably cool.
- Write MAURITIUS at the top of a new notebook page. Draw your chosen dish and add the date.
- Find one stage that needs waiting time: soaking peas, resting dough, baking or cooling. Ask your grown-up how you will know it is ready.
- Choose a useful waiting-time job, such as setting the table, washing safe utensils or drawing an ingredient.
- Earn your PATIENCE stamp: write down what you waited for and how the wait helped. Practising a careful roll or a neat scoop counts too.
Food detective: If a macaroon feels cool on the outside, is its middle always cool enough to eat? No. The middle can stay hot. Let your grown-up check it, and wait a little longer when needed.
A word for your journey: Bonzour — hello. At the table: Mersi — Thank you.
Food and discovery notes for grown-ups
This original Quesbo adventure offers approachable family adaptations with clearly shared cooking jobs. Mauritian cooking has many family traditions and influences; this is a small introduction. The dholl puri has a fine split-pea filling, the mine frit is a mild vegetable-and-egg version, and the coconut macaroons are baked. Follow each recipe’s specific cooking and storage guidance, especially for soaked pulses, raw flour and eggs, hot pans and oven trays. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested. Food images are AI-generated serving illustrations.
- SBS Food — Dholl puri, Kavi Hurrydoss
- Cook’s Hideout — Mauritian Dholl Puri
- Waitrose — Yellow Split Peas preparation
- Tesco / East End — Yellow Split Peas preparation
- SBS Food — Mauritian fried noodles, Brendan Pang
- Restaurants.mu / Cuisine Mauritian — Mine Frite
- ITV Lorraine — Coconut macaroons, Shelina Permaloo
- Rostone — Mauritian Cuisine: Coconut Macaroon / Rocher Coco
- GOV.UK / Food Standards Agency — Cooking your food
- NHS — Children’s food: safety and hygiene
- GOV.UK / Food Standards Agency — Handling flour and flour products safely
- Mauritius Now — Useful tips
- Mautourco — Mauritius: Let’s speak Creole
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