TASTE OF LOCAL – DISCOVER MALDIVIAN CUISINE
It has to be said you can’t beat home cooked food, and with our unique Taste of Local Life tour, we will introduce you to the flavors of the Maldives, showcasing the rich and diverse Maldives Food Culture. Visiting the local markets in Male you will assist your guide in selecting some of the ingredients required to prepare lunch. Learn how to select the best dried fish and determine if a pumpkin is sufficiently ripe! Back in Hulhumale Soba and her family will welcome you into their family home.
Your host’s will introduce you to a selection of simple local dishes that are easy to replicate back at home. Have a go at grinding coconut, it’s not as simple as it first appears and learn the art of combining flavors with your finger tips.
MASHUNI
Mashuni is popular at breakfast in the Maldives but can be eaten at any time of day. It is a very simple mix of coconut and tuna that is surprisingly refreshing and will want you going back for more!
There are many varieties of Mashuni. Canned tuna can be substituted with smoked or dried tuna or combined as done in our recipe below which brings a distinctly Maldivian taste to it. Mashuni is usually eaten with flat bread called “Roshi”
Ingredients:
16 oz canned tuna in water
5 oz dried smoked tuna
2 chilli peppers, seeded and chopped
2 onions finely sliced
Juice of 2 large lemons
1 fresh coconut (ripe), grated or 3 oz. of dried shredded coconut
3 oz coconut milk
Salt to taste
Place all the ingredients, except the coconut, into a large bowl and mix together well using your fingers to squish together bring out all the flavors. Finally add the grated coconut and lightly mix. Serve with roshi.
BARABO MASHUNI
A slightly different version to traditional mashuni is barabo mashuni which adds mashed pumpkin to the tuna and coconut mix to give a moist and sweeter version of the Madivian breakfast classic.
Ingredients:
16 oz canned tuna in water
1 cup pumpkin (barabo) – boiled, drained and mashed
1 fresh coconut (ripe), grated or 3 oz. of dried shredded coconut
1 Scotch Bonnet chili – finely chopped
2 onions finely sliced
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt to taste
Mix together the onions, and pepper with the lemon juice and salt using your fingers to combine the flavors. Add the tuna and mix well followed by the pumpkin and finally the coconut. Serve with roshi.
MAS FEN
A variation on a theme, you will see the ingredients are almost identical to mashuni. Mas fen provides a more ‘soup’ like dish that is generally served with white rice for lunch or an evening meal.
Ingredients:
16 oz canned tuna in water
5 oz dried smoked tuna
2 chilli peppers, seeded and chopped
2 onions finely sliced
Juice of 1 large lemons
3 oz coconut milk or a can of coconut milk
Salt to taste
Slice the dry smoked fish very finely into small pieces and mix with the canned tuna. Slice and chop the onions and chilli. Using your fingers mix together with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt to combine all the flavours. Add the fish and mix thoroughly. Finally add the coconut milk first and combine together. Serve with white rice.
Looking for more culinary adventures in the Maldives islands? Why not join us on a 7 night cooking and culture holiday based on either of the agricultural islands of Thoddoo or Fuvahmulah.
