Taste the Tropics in the Maldives

The Maldives is a tropical paradise of 1,100 coral islands, where cerulean seas shimmer and coconut palms sway. The country's cuisine showcases this vibrant environment with the freshest fish and sublime seafood, including tuna, exotic fruits such as bananas, pineapples, coconuts and mangoes, and Asian herbs and spices like curry leaves, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and fenugreek, to create a fantastic array of flavorful and fragrant dishes. Read on and get inspired by these special recipes until you'll stay at our brand new Radisson Blu Resort Maldives. Mashuni (Tuna Salad) Mashuni is a traditional Maldivian breakfast, composed of tuna, onion, coconut and chili, and traditionally served with a flatbread called a chapati. This is a wonderful way to start your day, and a must-try for any visitor to the Maldives. Recipe (serves 2): Ingredients: 150 gr Tuna chunks in oil 50 gr Grated coconut 25 gr Onion (finely diced) 3 gr Chili (finely sliced)½ tsp Lime juice 2 pcs Curry leaves To taste Salt and pepper Method: Strain and break up the tuna chunks, then combine with grated coconut, chili, onion, curry leaves and lime juice in a small bowl. Add salt or pepper to taste. Serve the mashuni with a warm chapati. Coconut Fish Curry If any dish showcases the authentic essence of Maldivian cuisine it is “Coconut Fish Curry”. Combining the freshest ingredients from land and sea, this is a simple, delicious and deeply satisfying dish that bursts with flavor. It can be created using any fish, but tuna is the most popular choice. Recipe (serves 1) Ingredients: 100 gr Onions (thinly sliced) 15 gr Ginger (minced) 5 gr Garlic (minced) 50 gr Tomatoes (puréed) 6 pcs Cardamom (bruised) 1 pc Cinnamon stick 1 tsp Cumin powder 50 gr Tomato diced for garnish 3 gr Rumba leaves 1 tbsp Garam masala 1/3 tsp Turmeric powder 200 gr Fish fillet (tuna steak recommended) 400 ml Coconut cream 10 ml Vegetable oil 5 nos. Curry leaves 2 ltr Cooking oil Method: Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, rumba and curry leaves and sweat off for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, tomato paste, garam masala powder and cumin powder to form a paste. Cook the paste on a low heat until it becomes fragrant (about 4 minutes). Add 1/3 of the coconut cream to the paste. Combine the fish (shredded into smaller chunks) with the paste and stir over a medium heat until the fish has changed color. Add the rest of the coconut cream and simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish has become tender. Add salt and pepper for taste. NB: Take care not to overcook as the fish can be fragile. Garnish the curry with chopped tomatoes. Kiru Boakibaa Coconut is a key element of Maldivian cuisine, and this delicious dessert demonstrates the amazing versatility of this amazing ingredient. Kiru boakibaa is a traditional local sweet made from corn flour and coconut milk, infused with cardamom, cinnamon and pandan leaves. Recipe (serves 2): Ingredients: 600 gr Fresh milk 200 gr Coconut milk 150 gr Sugar 75 gr Corn flour 1 gr Cardamom 1 gr Cinnamon 1 pc Pandan leaf (4cm in length) Method: Combine the coconut milk, fresh milk, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon stick and pandan leaves together. Place a pot on the stove over a medium heat, and stir in the above ingredients. Bring to a boil and add the corn flour. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens (about 5-10 minutes). Pour it into a small tray or a bowl and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes. The kiru boakibaa is ready to serve!

Have you tried any of these recipes yet? Let us know by using #RadissonBlu on social. We can't wait to see your results!