Local Dishes

1. މަސްހުނި

   mas huni

   Mas huni (shredded tuna with grated coconut)

   Usage

   The Maldivian breakfast. Flaked valhoamas (smoke-dried tuna) is kneaded by hand with grated coconut, onion, chilli, lime and salt, then eaten rolled in roshi flatbread.

   Grammar Note

   ހުނި has two senses, "lime, quicklime" and "coconut kernel scrapings" — in food names it is always the latter. The same word މަސްހުނި also means "a mixture" generally

2. ގަރުދިޔަ

   garudhiya

   Garudhiya (clear boiled tuna broth)

   Usage

   The Maldivian national dish: tuna simmered in salted water, nothing else. Poured over rice and eaten with lime, chilli and onion.

3. ކިރުގަރުދިޔަ

   kiru garudhiya

   Kiru garudhiya (fish broth with coconut milk)

   Usage

   Garudhiya finished with coconut milk. Eaten with rice or roshi

4. ރިހާކުރު

   rihaakuru

   Rihaakuru (thick Maldivian tuna paste)

   Usage

   A near-black paste made by reducing garudhiya broth for hours. Intensely salty — a smear at a time on rice or roshi

   Grammar Note

   From ރިހަ ("curry"); the Addu-atoll variant is ރެހާކުރު

5. ކުޅިމަސް

   kulhimas

   Kulhimas (spiced tuna)

   Usage

   Boiled tuna flaked and fried down with onion, chilli and spices. Eaten rolled in roshi or alongside bondibaiy

6. ވަޅޯމަސް

   valhoamas

   Valhoamas (smoke-dried tuna)

   Usage

   Tuna boiled, smoked and sun-dried — the backbone of the Maldivian pantry and the starting point for mas huni, curries and stir-fries. Also a common souvenir

7. ބިސްކީމިޔާ

   bis keemiyaa

   Bis keemiyaa (deep-fried egg and cabbage roll)

   Usage

   A hedhikaa (short eat): boiled egg, cabbage, onion, chilli, pepper and lime rolled in a thin dough and deep-fried.

8. ގުޅަ

   gulha

   Gulha (fried tuna dumpling)

   Usage

   A round hedhikaa: tuna, coconut and onion sealed in a rice-flour shell and deep-fried.

   Grammar Note

   ގުޅަ means "ball, lump, sphere, pill" — the dish is named for its shape. Huvadhu dialect ގޮޅަ, Addu ގެޅަ

9. ބަޖިޔާ

   bajiyaa

   Bajiyaa (Maldivian fish samosa)

   Usage

   A samosa-shaped hedhikaa filled with tuna, onion and grated coconut — much smaller and thinner than an Indian samosa.

10. ކަވާބު

    kavaabu

    Kavaabu (fried fish and rice cutlet)

    Usage

    A hedhikaa of tuna mashed with rice or lentils and spices, patted flat and fried. The name comes from Arabic kabāb, but the thing itself is a patty, not a skewer

11. ކުޅި ބޯކިބާ

    kulhi boakibaa

    Kulhi boakibaa (savoury Maldivian fish cake)

    Usage

    The centrepiece of "Eid sai", the morning tea after Eid prayers: rice flour, tuna, grated coconut and chilli baked into a savoury cake. People say Eid sai doesn't feel like Eid sai without it; it is baked the night before — traditionally in a dedicated pot over a firewood stove

12. ބޯކިބާ

    boakibaa

    Boakibaa (Maldivian baked cake)

    Usage

    The general word for a Maldivian baked cake, sweet or savoury. Not the same thing as a European-style cake (keyku)

13. ދަނޑިއަލުވި ބޯކިބާ

    dhandi aluvi boakibaa

    Dhandi aluvi boakibaa (cassava cake)

    Usage

    Grated cassava baked with coconut milk and sugar.

14. ބޮނޑިބަތް

    bondibaiy

    Bondibaiy (sweet coconut-milk rice pudding)

    Usage

    A sweet dish cooked from rice, wheat, sago or breadfruit; it comes out sticky. It is made for special occasions such as Eid, and in the Maldives it is also cooked and handed round with kulhimas (spiced tuna) at the naming ceremony held seven days after a birth

15. ބަތްޕެން

    baiypen

    Baiypen (rice gruel)

    Usage

    Rice boiled soft in plenty of water. It ranks, alongside kandhi, among the things Maldivians make from rice, and it is recommended during recovery from diarrhoea. There are also a savoury version (kulhi baiypen) and one with screwpine fruit

16. ދޮން ރިހަ

    dhon riha

    Dhon riha (mild coconut fish curry)

    Usage

    Cumin, mint, curry leaf, garlic, ginger, onion, grated coconut, coriander, cardamom and turmeric are ground into a havaadhu (curry paste), then simmered with yellowfin tuna and boakiru (thick coconut milk). Eaten year-round, not only in Ramadan

17. ކުޅި ރިހަ

    kulhi riha

    Kulhi riha (hot curry)

    Usage

    The hot counterpart of dhon riha, built on chilli and a heavier spice mix. Pair it with ކުޅި ("spicy") if you need to ask for something milder

18. މުގުރިހަ

    mugu riha

    Mugu riha (mung bean curry)

    Usage

    A curry of mung beans. Households wanting to cut down on heavy spicing cook mugu riha — one of the few main dishes here that contains no fish (kiru garudhiya, by contrast, is a fish broth), and worth asking for if you are vegetarian

19. ހަނާކުރި ބޯވަ

    hanaakuri boava

    Hanaakuri boava (dry-fried octopus)

    Usage

    Octopus fried down with onion, chilli and spices until dry. A good answer when you want something from the sea other than tuna

20. ތެލުލި ބަނބުކެޔޮ

    theluli banbukeyo

    Theluli banbukeyo (fried breadfruit chips)

    Usage

    Breadfruit is cut small, deep-fried and made into theluli banbukeyo or tharafana. It is also boiled, curried, or made into sweets. The raw ingredient itself is ބަނބުކެޔޮ

21. ފަތަފޮޅި

    fathafolhi

    Fathafolhi (thin griddled pancake)

    Usage

    A thin pancake griddled from grain flour. A common sight on the Ramadan table

22. ސޫޖީ

    soojee

    Soojee (sweet semolina pudding)

    Usage

    A sweet pudding cooked from ravaa (semolina).

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