Joanna James
If you are heading to the Maldives, ensure that part of your holiday also includes savouring the country's flavour-filled cuisine. Since it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, fish is a key element though you get plenty of other ingredients too that combine to offer truly delectable dishes.
Garudhiya is a local favourite and is like a fish soup or broth that is both light and wholesome. Eaten almost daily by Maldivians, this dish consists of fresh tuna cubes that are cooked in water along with various other ingredients; these include onion, fresh chilli, curry leaves, garlic and sometimes, pandan leaves. Additionally, lime is added to provide the broth with a zesty and fresh taste; served hot, Garudhiya is usually eaten alongside rice or Maldivian flatbread called roshi and makes for a fulfilling meal.
There is no shortage of curries in Maldives to try, each with a unique, spice-filled flavour. As you would expect, fish (tuna in particular) is a much-loved curry choice and can be enjoyed when savouring dishes such as mas riha. Of course, at resorts such as Naladhu Private Island Maldives, you can even sign up for cooking classes where you can get hands-on guidance in making Maldivian tuna curry! Other curry favourites worth trying are kukulhu riha (chicken curry), dhon anbu riha (mango curry) and bashi hiki riha (dry eggplant curry).
No breakfast here would be complete without a serving of mas huni which is like a coconut and tuna sambal that is made at homes across the nation as well as resorts on private islands. Maldives foodie adventures should definitely include sampling this dish which combines tuna that has been shredded with grated coconut. Added to this fresh mixture are ingredients such as onion, chilli and lemon or lime for a simple and yummy dish, generally enjoyed with freshly baked roshi and a hot cup of tea.
If you are a vegetarian or just simply love salads, you should have boshi mashuni on your list of must-eat dishes in Maldives. While you may enjoy banana as a fruit, you may not know that the banana flower can also be used for cooking and in fact, it's the chief ingredient of this dish. Both blanched and shredded banana flowers are combined to make boshi mashuni which also features fresh coconut, lime and chillies that give it a spicy blast. To these ingredients, cumin, turmeric and curry leaves are added to create a most unique tasting salad.
If you are wondering how to end a wonderful meal, then try the dessert known as saagu bondibai that you are bound to end up craving at other times too! This is a delicious pudding made from sago, which are small starchy spheres from the cores of tropical palm stems; when cooked, they provide a unique texture. To the sago, ingredients like coconut milk and condensed milk are mixed which offer a creamy and sweet taste, while the addition of rose essence and cardamom combine to make a heavenly dessert.
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