Joanna James
Local cuisine is an important part of any vacation. So if you're heading down to the Maldives, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, here are 6 local dishes you must try out!
Mas Huni is an extremely popular breakfast dish in the Maldives and contains a blended mixture of smoked or dried tuna, onion, coconut and chilli. The ingredients are well seasoned with lime, coriander and salt to produce an exquisitely satisfying dish that's served with chapati or even naan bread, tortilla or any other flat bread. There is a vegan version of the dish available as well, called Baraboa Mas Huni, which substitutes tuna with pumpkin!
Mas Huni is pretty beloved in the Maldives and is used to make several other dishes as well, one of which is the delightful appetizer named Gulha. Mas Huni is prepared and rolled into bite-sized balls, it is then wrapped inside a layer of dough and deep-fried until golden brown. You won't be able to stop eating the fun-sized snack once you start!
Fihuna Mas is another Maldivian fish dish. It is extremely easy to prepare and can be made with any kind of fish, although tuna remains the most popular choice. A wonderfully delectable blend of garlic, cumin powder, black peppercorns, dried chilli, onions and salt is used to season the filleted fish which is then cooked on a BBQ grill. Fihuna Mas is essentially Maldivian grilled fish – but some of the best grilled fish you'll ever taste!
All of these dishes and more can be had at restaurants, hotels and Maldives luxury resorts! You can find out more details and book resorts and make reservations online both via official resort sites and through travel portals like Vacation Maldives.
Garudhiya is a popular Maldivian fish broth, also called Tuna Soup. The dish is very simple to make and involves boiling fresh tuna with curry and rampa leaves in water for about 10 minutes and adding salt to taste. It's served with lemon, onions, chilli and boiled white rice. The dish is surprising flavourful considering the small number of ingredients used and is a dish you simply cannot miss out on!
Tuna, as you might have guessed by now, is the main ingredient found in most Maldivian cuisine, and is the main ingredient in Dhon Riha, as well. Dhon Riha is essentially the Maldivian take on fish curry. The traditional dish is an explosion of flavour and is made with chopped tuna chunks that are seasoned with salt, turmeric, ginger and curry and cinnamon powder, mixed together with chilli peppers, onions and two pieces of raw, skinned mango – which gives the dish a very satisfying tang. All the ingredients are cooked in coconut milk to produce a thick curry which is generally served with either rice or Roshi.
Dhonkeyo Kajuru is a very popular Maldivian dessert. The dish is essentially fried banana cake and is prepared by mashing up ripe bananas and combining it with flour, sugar and scraped and dried coconut. Rose water and vanilla essence are added lightly to bring out a little more flavour. Fun-sized balls are made out of the mixture and deep-fried in vegetable oil. The result is mouthwatering balls of sweet, rich banana cake that will leave you wanting more!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
