Tomato rougail

Name: Tomato rougail
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Réunion
Ingredients: 4 ripe firm tomatoes; 1 white onion; 3 cm piece fresh ginger; 2 bird's eye chillies; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tbsp lime juice

Local name: Rougail tomate

Also written: rougaille

A Réunion condiment of raw tomato, onion, ginger and chilli crushed in a mortar and set beside a plate of rice.

Published on 1 May 2026

VeganGluten-free#tomato#chilli#ginger#raw#condiment

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 15 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Scald the tomatoes for 20 seconds, peel them, then scoop out the seeds and watery pulp.
Pound the salt with the deseeded chillies until you have a smooth red paste.
Add the grated ginger and crush it into the mortar to release its juice.
Work in the finely chopped onion and pound for a few seconds, stopping well short of a purée.
Add the diced tomato flesh and press it lightly with the pestle. The mixture should stay coarse.
Season with the oil and lime juice, then rest it for 30 minutes before serving with rice and beans.

On Réunion the word rougail covers two things. This one stays raw and sits at the edge of the plate as a condiment, while rougail saucisse is a simmered dish. The pounding order matters: salt works as an abrasive against the chilli, and ginger goes in before tomato because its fibres resist once the mortar turns wet.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 48 kcal
Protein: 1.1 g
Fat: 2.5 g
Carbohydrate: 6.3 g
Fibre: 1.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why pound the salt with the chilli first?

The salt acts as an abrasive: its crystals tear the chilli flesh and let you work it into an even paste. Starting with a juicy ingredient would wet the mortar and the fibres would then resist the pestle.

Why deseed the tomatoes and drain them?

Without that step the rougail turns into a runny sauce that spreads across the plate. This condiment should stay coarse and hold its shape on a spoon, sitting beside the rice rather than over it.

How can I make it milder?

Deseed the bird's eye chillies carefully, as the recipe directs, or use just one. You can also let the rougail rest for half an hour, so the heat spreads through the mixture and feels less blunt.

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