Joanna James
Holidaymakers headed to the Maldives have one more thing to revel themselves in besides the slew of jaw-dropping beaches — the delectable authentic cuisine. Indulge in an assortment of local dishes and let yourself savour the mouth-watering flavours of the tropical island paradise.
Enjoyed both as a soup and a broth, Garudhiya is a nourishing fish dish that is one of the most prominent staples in the Maldives. Tuna, the primary ingredient of the dish, can be found in a few different species in the surrounding waters of the archipelago, most of which, including yellowfin tuna, skipjack, frigate tuna, and little tunny, could be used for the making of garudhiya. The preparation of a steaming hot bowl of garudhiya involves slowly immersing chunks of tuna in water, which is then subjected to the additions of curry leaves, onions, and fresh chilli peppers.
Kick off your Maldives morning with a mouthful of delectable mas huni — a traditional Maldivian breakfast. The authentic dish is quite easy to make, where all the ingredients — tuna, onions, grated coconut, and hot chilli peppers — are mixed in a bowl and seasoned with salt and pepper. The locals enjoy mas huni with the accompaniment of huni roshi, a Maldivian flatbread, which is being used to scoop up a mouthful of mas huni. To enjoy the traditional dish to the fullest, consider adding another accompaniment to the meal, sweetened hot tea.
Anyone who has had the popular samosa of Indian cuisine will immediately recognise Bis Keemiya's close resemblance, hence, earning the local dish the moniker, "Maldivian Samosa". Bis Keemiya too is another authentic dish in the island nation of Maldives that is enjoyed throughout the country as a popular choice for a quick snack. In its basic form, bis keemiya involves a combination of tuna, onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and peas, which is then stuffed into a dough made with flour, oil, salt, and water and finally deep fried.
After a few traditional Maldivian dishes under your belt, you'll soon perceive that tuna dominates a majority of dishes of the local cuisine, which should be no surprise as the archipelagic nation is surrounded by nothing but wide-open seas, and Kulhimas is, quite unsurprisingly, yet another tuna dominant dish. How kulhimas sets itself apart from the whole host of tuna dishes is with its spiciness — many locals call it a spiced tuna dish. A basic dish of kulhimas requires tuna, onions, curry leaves, hot peppers, garlic, ginger, grated coconut, cardamom, cumin, and a whole lot of hot red chillies.
The national dish of the Maldives and a delicious quick bite, gulha is a dumpling-like deep-fried pastry ball stuffed with smoked fish. No matter where you are in the 1,200- island archipelagic nation, gulha can be found being served almost everywhere, from streetside small cafes to the best Maldives all-inclusive resorts, including the likes of OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
