Maldivian cuisine

Tuna Fish, one of the essential ingredients in many dishes

Different curries of the Maldives and parotha

Traditional Maldivian cuisine is based on the following three main items and their derivatives:

Coconuts

The coconut is used in the grated form, squeezed to obtain coconut milk, or as coconut oil in dishes that are deep-fried. Hunigondi is the traditional Maldivian implement used to grate the coconut. It is a long low chair with a serrated steel blade at its end. The grated coconut is soaked in water and squeezed in order to obtain coconut milk (kaashi kiru). The coconut milk is an essential ingredient in many Maldivian curries and other dishes^[1]

Fish

The favourite fish is skipjack tuna, either dried or fresh. Other favourite fishes are little tunny (latti), yellowfin tuna (kanneli), frigate tuna (raagondi), bigeye scad (mushimas), wahoo (kurumas) and Mahi-mahi (fiyala). These can be eaten boiled or processed.

The processed tuna (Maldive fish) pieces are used in pieces or in shavings. In order to make curries, the raw or the still-soft processed tuna is cut into ¹⁄₂-inch-thick (13 mm) sections. Dry processed tuna is mainly used to make short eats called gulha, kavaabu, bajiyaa (the local version of the Indian Samosa) and fatafolhi. Unlike most Pacific islanders, Maldivians don't have the tradition of eating raw fish^[2].

Starchy items

These are starches like rice, which is eaten boiled or ground into flour, tubers like taro (ala), sweet potato (kattala) or tapioca (dandialuvi), as well as fruits like breadfruit (bambukeyo) or screwpine (kashikeyo). Tubers and breadfruit are eaten boiled. The screwpine fruit is mostly eaten raw after having been cut into thin slices^[3].

See also

• Garudhiya
• Maldive fish
• Rihaakuru

References

1. ^ Use of Coconut in Maldivian cooking
2. ^ Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999, ISBN 8472548015
3. ^ Xavier Romero-Frias, The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom. Barcelona 1999, ISBN 8472548015

Links

Dhumashi