Maldives

We continue our culinary journey and today will visit the kitchens of Muslims living on distant paradise islands among snow white beaches and the azure ocean.

The national cuisine of the Maldives formed out of the traditions of Indian and Arabian cuisines. Local dishes are cooked from fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits. In addition, the Maldivians widely use spices, sauces and coconut milk.

Traditionally, they eat shellfish, crab, shrimp, mussels, squid and other marine animals. They mostly prefer tuna, which takes an honourable place in the traditional local cuisine, being used in dried and smoked forms, cooked over an open fire or in the oven and as a component of other Maldives dishes.

The main side dish eaten locally is rice, used in many dishes. Moreover, they the national bread called “Roshi” is baked from rice.

Maldives fish dishes are striking in their diversity and include: “Fihinumas”, baked fish fillet with scorching hot sauce and “Kulhi Borkikha”, a fish cake with a rich bouquet of spices. They even have an analogue of our fish soup that is named “Garudhiya”, a fragrant fish soup that is usually cooked using fish, water and salt.

“Gulha” is a typical Maldives food which is made of small fried dumplings of wheat or rice flour dough filled with tuna fish, chopped onions and coconut as well as chillies. It tastes absolutely delicious, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. “Rihaakuru” is a thick sauce prepared by cooking fish on low flame for a very long time.

This is a common dish and a staple food of Maldives which is prepared in almost every household. High in protein and low in fats and carbohydrates, it is just one of the many great foods of this island nation.

Fish is often seasoned with hot chili pepper, lemongrass, thyme and ginger. All kinds of sauces allow varying the taste of fish every time in a new way. In addition, employing unusual combinations of ingredients is one of the peculiarities of the local cuisine.

For example, “Maldivian Curry” is tuna with an original side dish of eggplant, pumpkin and green bananas. “Badzhia” are local tuna pies stuffed with hot spices. The “Mas Huni” dish is even more unusual to European tastes. It is shredded smoked tuna mixed with onions, chillies and coconut. It is a moist dish mostly eaten with Roshi.

Maldivian desserts are far from the cakes and ice cream we are all used to. For islanders the best dessert is fruit but there are plenty of sweet dishes available in restaurants, mostly made from rice or rice flour.

“Diyaa Hakuru” is a banana rice paste with the addition of palm juice, “Nui Foli” are pancakes on rice flour with honey, “Bondi” are coconut sticks, “Foni Boakibaa” is a rice pudding, “Aluvi Boakibaa” is a sweet cassava and coconut cake.

“Gulab Jamun” is a very popular dessert in India and is also famous throughout the Maldives. It is prepared as milk solid based balls which are dipped in sugar syrup until they are spongy and soft. It tastes even better when served hot. Some gulab jamuns are also stuffed with dried fruits and cardamon.

The favourite local drink here is a very sweet green tea with milk. It is drunken a lot and often, which is why there are a lot of teahouses all over the Maldives. Freshly squeezed fruit juices, especially coconut, are also very popular here.

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