Joanna James
The cuisine of the Maldives is unique. This island-bound paradise has a culinary culture with influences from countries such as India and China, creating a most unique food culture.
One of the most iconic of Maldivian breakfast dishes. This legendary dish is available in more or less all the restaurants in the Maldives, from road-side shacks to the hotels such as Anantara Veli Maldives Resort. Mas Huni is a concoction made out of mixing tuna, onion, coconut and chilli. The ingredients eventually form a mixture that is uniform in texture. There is an alternate vegetarian form known as the Baraboa Mas Huni where Tuna is substituted with pumpkin, once again creating a uniform paste-like concoction. The dish is commonly served with a variety of flat-bread that is commonly consumed in the Maldives, ranging from the infamous chapatti to naan to more obscure local favourites such as Roshi.
This is the iconic Maldivian flat-bread which is distinctly similar to a Chapatti. Once the dough is made by mixing oil, salt and flour it is gently kneaded after the addition of water. Once the dough is prepared, little balls of the dough are flattened and roasted on a hot surface until brown in texture. Mas Roshi is the more evolved form where Mas Huni is incorporated into the dough. The end result is a roasted bun of sorts that is chock full of seasoned fishy goodness.
This dish also involves the use of Mas Huni, clearly a true staple in Maldivian cuisine. Gulha is made by forming Mas Huni into little balls, covering them in dough and then deepy-frying them until golden-brown, creating a delicious crispy snack. Gulha is a more indulgent Maldivian breakfast staple as well as being a popular street-food given its easy-preparation and deep-fried indulgence.
A traditional fish-paste that is a by-product of the processing of Tuna, Rihaakuru has become a staple culinary item in the Maldives, much like Vegemite in Australia. Rihaakuru is consumed on a daily basis by Maldivians and is commonly done consumed with rice, roshi, breadfruit orSignature Breakfast Meals in the Maldives being utilised as a sandwich spread. The paste is produced through a simple but time-consuming procedure that involves meticulously cooking boiling Tuna over the course of several hours until the broth reduces to a thick paste. With the addition of coconut milk, Rihaakuru can be formed into a curry known as Rihaakuru Diya.
If you find yourself in the Maldives, be sure to obtain their complete breakfast experience by trying out the dishes mentioned above.
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