Maldivian Cuisine

Maldivian cuisine is based on three main components—fish (mainly tuna), coconut and rice. It is also heavy on seafood, vegetables and of course spices due to proximity of India and Sri Lanka. Being a luxurious vacation spot, Maldivian resorts offer many international dishes to satisfy the cravings from all over the world. However, I highly recommend trying local plates, as they are made of the freshest ingredients and in accordance with the finest traditions.

 

Masroshi

Ingredients:
2 pieces of tuna
3 chilies
1 lemon
½  coconut
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ( optional )
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 onions
½  inch Ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
salt to taste
2 cups flour

Cooking:

Cut tuna into small pieces and mix it with chopped chilies, onions, ginger and curry powder. Mix everything with lemon juice and salt. Add ground coconut to the mixture. Then form small balls. To make the dough, mix flour and olive oil. Shape it into small balls. After the dough is ready, place tuna mix inside and flatten the pies. Bake masroshi on a medium heat until ready. Bon appétit!

 

Dhon Riha (Maldivian Tuna Curry)

Ingredients:
tuna filet chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 inch ginger
¼ turmeric powder
1 cup ground coconut
2 cups thick coconut milk
1 cup thin coconut milk
½ tablespoons cinnamon powder
7  tablespoons curry powder
2 pieces of skinned raw mango
½ hot chili pepper
Salt to taste

Cooking:
Mix turmeric and 1 tablespoon of salt with coconut and grind to a smooth paste in a blender. Mix one cup of thick coconut milk with one cup of thin coconut milk. Add about a half of onion-ginger-cinnamon mixture to this. Place it in a pan and let it boil on a low heat. In a separate bowl, mix coconut paste and the rest of onion-ginger-cinnamon mixture. Dip tuna in this mixture. When the coconut milk begins to boil, add tuna, curry, hot chili pepper, chunks of mango and salt. Cook on low heat, stirring. When the curry begins to boil, add the remaining coconut milk, stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve it with rice. Sounds amazing!

 

Links:
http://recipes.mymaldives.com/
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Maldivian_Cuisine
http://chilliesandlime.blogspot.com/
http://badhiger.blogspot.com/
http://www.maldiviancuisine.com/recipes.html
http://dhumashi.wordpress.com/