Surrounded by oceans that yield plentiful harvests of skipjack tuna, yellow fin tuna, frigate tuna, big eye tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi it is no surprise that fish is the main ingredient in any Maldivian dish. The fish is combined with coconut milk to make a stew or curry or deep fried in coconut oil and mixed up with spices for local short eats such as ‘gulha’, ‘kavaabu’ and ‘bajiyaa’ which are similar to cutlets and to Indian ‘samosas’.
One of the most traditional of Maldivian fish dishes is ‘Garudiya’ or clear fish broth. Generally skip jack, yellow fin tuna or frigate tuna is used for this dish. The fish is cut up, cleaned and boiled in salted water. While boiling, the scum that rises to the top is removed. Curry leaves, chillies, onions and other spices are added for flavour. The dish is eaten with rice, ‘roshi’ or chapatti, taro or breadfruit. Grated coconut is used when eating with taro or breadfruit. If the fish is boiled right down a thick black paste called ‘rihaakuru’ forms. It is much prized by the Maldivians and is consumed daily in almost every Maldivian household. The colour varies from light to dark brown. Rihaakuru is generally eaten with rice, breadfruit or taro. Sautéed with onions, curry leaves and chillies, it is the delicious dish ‘theluli’ or fried ‘rihaakuru’. Rihaakuru can also be mixed with coconut milk to make ‘rihaakuru diya’. Rihaakuru also makes a good sandwich spread.
Tuna processed by boiling, sun drying and smoking hardens into long pieces called Maldive fish. It is either cut into smaller pieces or sold in long hard fillets. It is added to vegetable dishes for flavour.
Current Maldivian cuisine has strong overtones of Arabic, Indian, Sri Lankan and oriental flavours, all tastefully blended into something unique to the Maldives
Experience live aboard Maldives on the Atoll Explorer, one of the best Maldives cruise vacations offering a range of exciting activities. Be part of the varied cultural aspects of each destination and nature’s astonishing magnificence as you cruise the islands. Take the opportunity to dive at some of the best dive sites in the world and see reef sharks, manta rays, green turtles, sting rays and hundreds of other marine species amongst multi hued corals. Enjoy picnics in quiet sandy coves and dinner under the stars and catch up with some star gazing 10 km out at sea and be thrilled by the celestial display before you. This has to be one of the best ways to experience the diversity and the magnificence of the Maldives.
