Joanna James
The thing about the Maldives is that not only is it a paradise for the eyes to see it is also a paradise on the taste buds with some delicious variants of local fish that are cooked into some showstopping dishes. If you are in the Maldives here are some of the best dishes to dazzle your stomach.
One of the most basic dishes in the Maldives is Garudhiya. It is a very fragrant fish soup which is made simply with water, salt and fish. It is a dish you can easily find on the table at many a local home especially of fishermen. When it is served it is done so with rice, lime, onions and chillies. You can eat it for as cheap as 50 Maldivian rupees or much more if you are going to try the gourmet restaurant at a luxury hotel in Maldives.
Another dish you can find anywhere in the Maldives including at the restaurants of hotels the likes of Velassaru Maldives is shredded smoked tuna or Mas Huni as it is known locally. It is a very popular breakfast dish that is eaten together with Roshi. A chapati-like roti that is Maldivian in origin, Roshi and Mas Huni can be found all over the islands. The smoked tuna is prepared by shredding first and then mixing with grated coconut, onions and lemon. It is quite a light dish so make sure you ask for it at your hotel or go try it in one of the inhabited islands.
Masroshi is a stuffed Roshi that is quite similar to Mas Huni in that it's got to do with coconut and tuna. It is well cooked with curry leaves and plenty of spices and served often as a snack or as breakfast or lunch. You will find this at local food shops on the inhabited islands as well as in Male. Some of the best places to try this dish are Café Rio in Male which is open from 5 am to 1.30 am daily or the Lonuveli Restaurant in Hulhulmale. It won't cost any more than 7 to 50 Maldivian rupees depending on where you have it.
Bis Keemiya is the Maldivian excuse for a samosa. The inside of the flaky pastry is stuffed with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, sautéed shredded cabbage and onions. The pastry skin tastes a bit like a spring roll. You can find these in corner shops as well as cafés in the capital and other big Maldivian cities. They cost less than 10 Maldivian rupees a piece and are quite delicious and filling.
The Banana Flower Salad which is also known as Boshi Mashuni to the locals is made of coconut scrapings and shredded banana flowers which are made to taste with curry leaves, cumin and turmeric. There's also chilli and lime to give it an almost salsa-like twang. It is refreshing and delicious and comes highly recommended.
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.
