Masterchef Winner Shelina Permalloo Launches Mauritian Cooking School At Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

Online, April 9, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Shelina Permalloo, winner of Masterchef 2012, is set to launch an exclusive cooking school in her native Mauritius, ideal for those inspired by the TV show. Taking place at the Mauritian owned Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa, renowned for their outstanding organic kitchen garden and pioneering approach to food, Shelina will teach guests the secret to the island's exotic cuisine which draws on an abundance of fragrant flavours and spices.

Dubbed the new culinary superstar, Shelina stormed to victory in Masterchef 2012 thanks to her 'sunshine on a plate' dishes influenced by her Mauritian heritage. A keen advocate of Mauritian cuisine, Permalloo says,

"I can't wait to work with Maradiva not only because it's a Mauritian owned hotel with amazing produce on its doorstep, but because I get the opportunity to teach people about the food I'm passionate about. Teaching and cooking in Mauritius is going to be incredible and I'll get the opportunity to carry on learning about the ever changing food culture on the island"

Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa will launch a series of three day cooking schools led by Permalloo, with the first starting on March 11th 2013. Guests will begin at the colourful and bustling food market in Port Louis, selecting fresh local ingredients, before returning back to the hotel to pick organic fruit, vegetables, honey, herbs and spices from Maradiva's lush organic gardens.

Shelina will take guests on a culinary journey through her home island, traversing the wide variety of flavours inherited from the French, Indian, Chinese and African settlers, combined with her own contemporary twist. Typical dishes might include the Rougaille, a French tomato sauce used as a base in most Mauritian curries, seafood stews made using fresh tiger prawns selected from the fisherman's boats on the beach, spicy chilli cakes, Gajaks, the Mauritian equivalent of Tapas, and rum based cocktails made using the delicious locally distilled spirits.

Mauritius' location in the Indian Ocean, at the heart of the spice route, lends the national cuisine a distinctive flavour, displaying the fusion of cultures unique to the island. Using a wide array of spices, from traditional African jerk seasoning to Indian saffron and turmeric, as well as her mother's recipes, Shelina will teach guests the art of Mauritian cooking. Guests will depart with recipe cards full of insider tips, ideal for re-creating these dishes at home.

Owned by a fifth generation Mauritian family with a passion for food, Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa is situated on the west coast of Mauritius, overlooking the white sand beach and turquoise lagoon of Tamarin Bay. Reflecting the indigenous architecture, each of the 65 private villas comes complete with individual plunge pools, outdoor lounges and open dining terraces in which to relax in after a hard day's cooking.

3-day Shelina Permalloo Cookery School at Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa. Includes morning and afternoon cooking classes, a day trip to Port Louis food market, cooking school ingredients, embroidered apron and a recipe pack to take home. Price from £570 per person and rate is commissionable to tour operators by 20%.

For more information on the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa visit www.maradiva.com and for further information on Mauritius holidays visit www.orbital-mauritius-holidays.co.uk.