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![]() Imagine a curry puff had a ménage a trois with a samosa and a spring roll, and you’re halfway to what a bis keemiya is. Stuffed with gently sautéed, shredded cabbage, hardboiled eggs and spiced onions, the pastry is light and flaky, and delightfully chewy. They’re also way too easy to make for something this tasty. New party snack anyone? Try this recipe and you'll see why they're an impressive and easy treat. ![]() Somewhere between a salad and a salsa, boshi mashuni is a blend of shredded, blanched (but still crunchy) banana flowers, fresh coconut and spices. It’s zingy with lime, hot with onion and Maldivian chilli (you can of course use regular chillies, just make sure they’re hot ones like bird’s eyes), with a savoury background thanks to curry leaves, turmeric and cumin. Find the recipe here and be blown away by the fact that it’s also pretty much a health food, which frankly feels irrelevant with something this gorgeous to eat. ![]() If you’re a fan of miso or dashi, then you definitely need to give this recipe a go. It’s a traditional Maldivian fish soup spiked with spices and citrus. Fresh tuna is the primary component, providing that all-important umami flavour to the soup. Cubes of fish are cooked up with water and curry leaves, onion, garlic and chilli, and then the whole lot is seasoned with crunchy fried onions and a spritz of lime. It’s ridiculously simple, but somehow manages to be both the perfect winter-warmer and clean, fresh soup for summer. How? Maldivian magic, and you'll find it in this recipe here. ![]() Given its close proximity to Sri Lanka, where pol roti is a staple, it makes sense that the Maldives would have its own version of coconut bread. Huni roshi are flatbreads flecked with coconut which are fried until crisp on the outside and soft and chewy within (if you’re lucky they’ll even puff up like a pitta when you fry them). The coconut lends both texture and gentle flavour. Serve these (find the recipe here) alongside all of the above. ![]() When was the last time you had sago? The 1940s? Same here. But in the Maldives, these little starchy spheres are a major component of people’s diets, derived as they are from the spongy cores of tropical palm stems. As soon as you try saagu bondibai, you’ll see why sago is still so popular in Maldivian households. Warmed with coconut milk, cardamom and rose, and laced with creamy condensed milk, it’s the kind of dessert you could drink by the bucket-load if only that wasn’t a hideous thing to do (we won’t tell anyone if you won’t). Try it for yourself with this recipe here, and you'll see what we mean. |