Joanna James
Since the Maldives is largely covered by the sea, you will naturally be able to savour a diet rich in seafood.
If soup or broth is your favourite dish, try out garudiya. It is a clear fish broth. You will come across garudiya in any traditional meal when dining in Maldives. It is one of the oldest Maldivian meals. The broth contains tuna found in the Maldivian sea such as yellow tuna, skipjack and little tunny.
If you are ever interested in cooking garudiya tuna fish, here's how you can go about it. It's not all that difficult. Cut tuna the usual way and leave the innards aside. Wash the bones and heads thoroughly. Boil the fish in water and salt. Leave it until the fish is cooked properly. In a little while, you will notice how the foam is slowly eliminated during the boiling process. The Maldivians eat garudiya with steamed rice. Try the dish with other sides as well. Maldivian chapatti, for instance, eaten with garudiya is considered a great delicacy. Some opt for boiled breadfruit too. And do not forget to add some grated coconut on top. At a resort such as Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives, where, if you would like to get a real taste of local fare, you should be able to request for this traditional dish to be prepared for you.
Another dish containing tuna, mas huni is even tastier as it has onion, chilli and coconut too. In the Maldivian language, mas huni means fish mixed with coconut. Mas huni can be prepared in a number of ways. The Maldivians add leaves to the mas huni mixture to give it a herbal flavour. The leaves are taken from such trees as mabulha, digutiyara, muranga, ogramfau, massagu and los. Mas huni is also prepared with muranga pods. To bring out that real, Asian flavour, squash the onion well with other ingredients like chilli in a bowl. Add lemon or lime juice and salt to that mixture. After mixing the lemon and salt, add tuna and coconut and mix it well once again.
Also known as Maldives grilled fish, this cuisine is largely inspired by the cuisine of Sri Lanka and South India. You will be served the dish hot. Mixed with coconut, the dish is also spicy. Most tourists usually choose fihunu mas badhige because of its hot and spicy flavour. If you try this out, you will look for it over and over again. Made from grilled fish, it is easy to prepare at home too. All you need is dried chilli, two garlic cloves, 1 oz of onion, cumin and black peppercorns one tablespoon each, curry leaves and salt in moderate amount. Your fish should be a whole one, sliced properly to the bone. Blend the ingredients thoroughly until it turns out to be a paste. Puncture the fish onto a spike cover with the paste. Now you are almost done. Cook it well until you are satisfied with its colour and aroma.
Like fihunu mas badhige, this dish also seems to be inspired by Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine. You will find a lot of spices in this curry. This curry is made using coconut milk, chicken and a lot of vegetables.
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.
