Recipes of Maldivian Food
Drinks
Karaa Fani
Ingredients:
| 2 Kg ½ cup 5 cups |
watermelon sugar (alter to suit taste) water |
Preparation:
Slice the watermelon, remove seeds and dice it into very small pieces. Add the sugar and squash the watermelon and sugar together, then add the water and stir until all sugar dissolves. Serve chilled.
Note: If you would rather not “eat” your drink, use a blender to make this fani.
Alanaasi Fani
Ingredients:
| ½ ½ cup 1 tsp 1 tsp 6 cups |
(medium sized) pineapple sugar (alter to suit taste) lemon juice salt water (alter for desired consistency of juice) |
Preparation:
Peel pineapple, chop and blend with sugar and 1 cup water. Once the pineapple have blended into a smooth, thick puree; add the remaining water and blend. Strain and serve chilled.
Feyru Fani
Ingredients:
| 2 ½ cup 6 cups |
ripe guavas sugar (alter to suit taste) water (alter for desired consistency of juice) |
Preparation:
Peel guavas, chop and blend with sugar and 1 cup water. Once the guavas have blended into a smooth, thick puree; add the remaining water and blend. Strain the juice to remove the seeds. Serve chilled.
You may substitute any fruit (or vegetable) into the above recipe for a tasty fani
Suji
Ingredients:
| 1 cup ½ cup 1 cup 100 g 100 g ½ can 600 g 5 2 inches 5 – 6 cups 2 tsp |
breadcrumbs (or ½ cup semolina) sliced kanamdhu (or Almonds) sliced onions raisins ghee (or vegetable oil) condensed milk sugar (alter to suit taste) cardamom seeds rampa leaves water vanilla essence |
Preparation:
Sauté the onion and rampa until soft; then add the raisins and kanamadhu and continue to sauté until onions turn golden and raisins are firm. Next add the breadcrumbs and stir the mixture over a low flame for about a minute. Then add the sugar and water and stir well until all (or most of the) sugar is dissolves. Then add the condensed milk and cook over a medium flam, stirring frequently to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is boiled, simmer over a low flame for about 2 minutes, then take it off the flame and add the vanilla essence. Suji can be served hot or cold.
Hedika (Short eats)
Cutlets
Ingredients:
| 1 can 250g 1 tsp 5 tsp 1cup 2cm 2 1 tsp 1 tsp |
Maldives tuna potato (boiled, peeled and mashed) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice sliced onion ginger (crushed) eggs (beaten) ground black pepper salt fine breadcrumbs oil for frying |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, ginger, pepper and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Add the tuna and mix, squeezing gently, before adding the potatoes. The mixture should now be like slightly sticky dough. Mould into small balls, dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Now deep fry them over on medium heat. Ensure that the oil is hot enough for frying the cutlets by dropping a little piece into the oil. If the piece starts sputtering then the temperature is good. If cutlets are put in the oil before it is hot enough, they are likely to dissolve and settle at the bottom of the frying pan.
Bis Cutlets
Ingredients:
| 1 can 250g 1 tsp 5 tsp 1 cup 2cm 6 2 1 tsp 1 tsp |
Maldives tuna potato (boiled, peeled and mashed) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice sliced onion ginger (crushed) eggs (boiled and halved) eggs (beaten) ground black pepper salt fine breadcrumbs oil for frying |
Preparation:
Make same as cutlets and mould into ovals using the boiled egg halves as one side and the tuna mixture forming the other side. Then put into beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs. Make sure that they are coated uniformly. Also be careful to squeeze them tight as they will pop, spraying hot oil when put into the frying pan if there are air pockets between the egg and tuna halves.
Petties
Ingredients:
Filling:
| 1 can 250g 1 tsp 5 tsp 1 cup 2cm |
Maldives tuna potato (boiled, peeled and mashed) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice sliced onion ginger (crushed) oil for frying |
Dough:
| 1 cup ½ tsp 1 1 tsp ¼ tsp ¼cup |
flour baking powder egg butter (or margarine) salt warm water |
Preparation:
Make the filling the same as for cutlets and mould into small ovals. For the dough – sieve the flour and baking powder together. Add the egg and the butter and mix. Then add the warm water and knead the dough until smooth. Add the water gradually to make sure the dough does not turn out too sticky. Spread the dough using a rolling pin and cut out circles using a glass of about 3 inch in diameter. Into each circle put a piece of the filling and close to form a semicircle. Using a fork, press on the round edge of the semicircle. Now deep fry over a medium flame.
Mas Boakibaa
Ingredients:
| 1 can 1 cup ½ cup 2 tsp 4 tsp ½ cup 2 tsp 0.5 cm 1 tsp |
Maldives Tuna rice (soaked and ground coarsely) scraped coconut sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice sliced onion curry leaves (chopped) ginger (crushed) salt |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, ginger, curry leaves, lime juice and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Next add the tuna and mix well. Then add the ground rice and scraped coconut into the mixture and mix until its texture is similar to a cake mix. Spread the mixture evenly in a greased baking dish and bake on medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden.
Rihaakuru Boakibaa
Ingredients:
| ½ cup ½ can 1½ cups 1 cup 2 tsp 4 tsp ½ cup 2 tsp 0.5 cm ½ tsp |
rihaakuru Maldives tuna rice (soaked and ground coarsely) scraped coconut sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice sliced onion curry leaves (chopped) ginger (crushed) salt |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, ginger, curry leaves, lime juice, rihaakuru and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Then add the ground rice and scraped coconut into the mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
Kavaabu
Ingredients:
| ¼ cup 1 can 1 cup 1 cup 2 tsp 4 tsp 2 tsp ½ tsp 2 tsp ½ tsp 1 tsp ¼ cup |
mugu (boiled and mashed) Maldives tuna sliced onions scraped coconut sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice crushed garlic crushed ginger chopped curry leaves turmeric powder salt water Oil for frying |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, lime juice and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Then add the tuna, mugu and scraped coconut and mix well until the texture of the mixture is similar to dough. Next add the water and moisten the mixture. Using your fist, gently squeeze and shape into small rugby ball like pieces. Deep fry over a medium flame until brown.
Gulha
Ingredients:
Filling:
| 1 can 1 cup 1 cup 2 tsp 4 tsp 2 tsp ½ tsp 2 tsp ½ tsp 1 tsp |
Maldives tuna sliced onions scraped coconut sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice crushed garlic crushed ginger chopped curry leaves turmeric powder salt |
Dough:
| 1 cup 2 tsp ¼ tsp ¼cup |
flour vegetable oil salt warm water Oil for frying |
Preparation:
Filling:
Mix onion, chili, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, lime juice and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Then add the tuna and scraped coconut and mix well until all ingredients are mixed together into a mash. Shape into small balls about the size of small meatballs.
Dough:
Sieve the flour; add the oil and salt and mix. Then add the warm water and knead the dough until smooth. Then add the warm water and knead the dough until smooth. Add the water gradually to make sure the dough does not turn out too sticky. Make small balls about the same size as those made from the filling.
Shape the pieces of dough into cups and place filling inside; then close the cups and smooth into a balls. Deep fry over medium heat until golden brown and crisp.
Curries
Beef Curry
Ingredients:
| 500g 2 tbsp 1 cup 5 - 6 2 tsp ½ tbsp 1 tsp 2 tsp ½ tsp ½ tsp 1tsp 2 tbsp 2 tbsp 1½ cups 2 tsp |
beef (chopped into about 1 inch cubes) ghee (or 3 tbsp vegetable oil) sliced onion curry leaves chopped garlic crushed ginger fenugreek seeds cumin seeds turmeric powder mustard seeds chili powder curry powder coconut cream water salt |
Preparation:
Heat the ghee and sauté the onion, garlic, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and mustard seeds over a medium flame. Once the onion turns light golden brown, add the chili powder and stir for a few seconds. Then add turmeric powder and curry powder and stir for a few seconds more. Next add ½cup water, mix the spices and stir till it boils. Now add the beef, stir and toss till the beef is well coated with the spice mixture. Add the reminder of the water and salt and cook covered over a low flame for about 45 minutes or till the beef is tender. Add the coconut cream and simmer for 2 minutes.
Fish Curry
Ingredients:
| 500g 3tbsp ½ cup 1tsp ½ tsp 2tbsp 1 tsp 3 – 5 1 inch ½ cup 1 cup 2 cups 1½ tsp |
Tuna (chopped into about 1 inch cubes) cooking oil sliced onions chopped garlic crushed ginger curry powder chili powder curry leaves rampa leaves thick coconut cream coconut milk water salt |
Preparation:
Heat the cooking oil and sauté the onions, garlic, curry leaves and rampa leaves. When the onion is lightly golden brown, add the chili powder and stir for about 30 seconds. Next add the curry powder and stir for another 30 seconds. Add the tuna and ginger and toss till the tuna is coated with the curry mixture. Now add the salt, coconut milk and water and cook over a medium flame till it boils. Stir every few minutes to make sure the coconut milk does not form lumps. Once boiling, let stand over a medium flame for about 10 minutes before adding the coconut cream. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes.
Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
Marinade:
| 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 2 tbsp |
crushed garlic crushed ginger chili powder curry powder lemon juice |
Curry:
| 1 kg 4 tbsp ½ cup 1 tsp 1 tsp 2 tbsp 1 tsp 5 – 6 2 inch ½ cup 1 cup 3 cups |
marinated chicken (chopped into pieces) cooking oil sliced onions chopped garlic crushed ginger curry powder chili powder curry leaves rampa leaves thick coconut cream coconut milk water |
Preparation:
Marinade:
Mix all the garlic, ginger, chili powder and curry powder with the lemon juice to form a paste. Coat the chicken pieces with this and leave for 15 – 20 minutes.
Curry:
Heat the cooking oil and sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and rampa leaves. Put about a tablespoonful of the onion mixture into the coconut cream and let stand. When the onion is lightly golden brown, add the chili powder and stir for about 30 seconds. Next add the curry powder and coconut milk and bring to the boil while stirring. Add the chicken, toss till the chicken is well coated with the curry mixture. Add the water and cook for 20 - 30 minutes. Add the coconut cream and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes.
Salads
Mashuni
Ingredients:
| 1 can 1 1 tsp 3 tbsp ¾ cup ½ tsp |
Maldives tuna medium sized onion (sliced) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice scraped coconut salt |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, lime juice and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Add the tuna and mix well. Next add the scraped coconut and mix. Do not squeeze the mixture when you add the coconut. Serve with roshi or any other flat bread. Taste good with tacos or tortillas as well.
Baraboa Mashuni (pumpkin mashuni)
Ingredients:
| 1 can 1 cup 1 1 tsp 3 tbsp ¾ cup ½ tsp |
Maldives tuna pumpkin (boiled and mashed) medium sized onion (sliced) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice scraped coconut salt |
Preparation:
Mix onion, chili, lime juice and salt. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together. Add the tuna and mix well. Next add the scraped coconut and baraboa. Do not squeeze the mixture when you add the coconut. Serve with roshi or any other flat bread. Taste good with tacos or tortillas as well.
You may substitute any vegetable (e.g. eggplant, potato) into the above recipe for another tasty mashuni.
Fiyaa Satani (Onion Salad)
Ingredients:
| 2 2 tsp 3 tbsp ½ tsp |
medium sized onion (sliced) sliced chili (alter to suit taste) lemon juice salt Food colouring (red) |
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together. Squeeze the mixture well to make sure the tastes of the different ingredients blend together.
