Three huge ?degh? on a wood fire exhale delicious flavours of spices in a backyard in Plaine-Verte. No doubt! We are at Zoro?s, the briani specialist. ?I did not learn to make briani from anyone. I believe it is a gift.? It all started at 18? Eighteen years ago! ?At the beginning, I used to help people make briani for the ?ourous?, a service at the Mosque.? Since then, he has taken pleasure in it and made of it his full-time job.

He has even taught his two brothers how to make briani. One of them works with him in Plaine-Verte and seems to have acquired just as much talent. The third one has launched his own briani business? in Paris ! ?The most important thing in making briani is the ingredients you put in. If you have quality ingredients, your briani will be good,? Zoro?s brother explains.

The meat (beef, fish, chicken or vegetarian) and the potatoes are marinated in curdled milk and spices - coriander, garlic, chilli, mint, cinnamon, saffron, ghee, cardamom, anise, grilled onions - for about two or three hours. Then, you cook all this together and afterwards mix it with the precooked rice.

Zoro makes briani only on order. He can cook for as few as 15 people up to 4,000 people for a wedding. ?We have already catered for more than 4,000 people but this is rare.? Usually, for big orders - weddings or parties ? we go there with our ?degh? and finish the cooking on the spot. ?Not only do we provide the briani but also the salad and so on. If you order a small quantity, you come here and we give you the briani in the dekti, which you return to us later. If we come to your place, we bring everything and our people stay to clear up,? Zoro boasts.

Zoro has regular customers from all over Mauritius. His secret? ?To do this job, you need to be honest. People come because they trust us. They know our product is good and they come back.?