Theluli Mas (Spicy Fried Fish)

Theluli mas or spicy fried fish is very common in Maldivian cuisine. The ingredients vary to
prepare this fish from island to island. My recipe is a very easy recipe as lonumirus curry
powder which is a combination of dried chilies & some spices sold almost in every local
shops & it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. This fish is a must on our dinner & lunch
table.

This pic is taken from Google
Ingredients:
1 Tuna lion about 650 grms (cut vertically in to 1/3 inchthick steaks)
21/2tbs lonumirus curry powder
21/2tbs tomato paste
Salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

Method:
In a bowl mix lonumirus curry powder, tomato paste & salt, rub this paste on the tuna steaks
& leave for an hour covered with plastic wrap. Heat oil in a sauce pan & arrange the
steaks, put lid on & cook on low heat until bottom is fried.


Turn the steaks to upside down & fry again until slightly crispy. I like bottom of my steaks to
burn the paste lightly to give a stronger flavor. This goes well with anything, rice, roshi,
bread & even with boiled vegetables enjoy!

Rihaakuru Garudiya (Fish paste soup)


Again some free days came on hand so I thought of making something local and rarely
tasted nowadays to post on my blog. I dont remember last few years making this soup so I
was wondering if my kids will like it or not, but to my surprise they loved this soup with rice
and smoked tuna. Here is the recipe

Ingredients:
1ltr water
3 to 5tbs Rihaakuru (Fish paste) depends on the quality
1small sour mango or billinbi (cut in to bite size pieces)
5dried chilies
1mediun onion (cut in to lengthwise)
4cloves of garlic
1tsp ajinomoto
Curry leaves
Pandan leaves
Salt

Method:
Mix water and Rihaakuru in a saucepan, bring to a boil, if you see little scum remove it.
When this starts to boil add all ingredients other than salt. Cook for about 5minutes or until
the onions & chilies start to release its aroma, taste and season with salt. Serve with rice,
Smoked fish and lonumirus ..enjoy!!

Hanaakuri Mas (Stove roasted fish)


This dish is a very popular dish, it is prepared to eat with rice pudding on special occasions
but my kids love to eat it with roshi (Maldivian flat bread) so I make this dish two to three
days a week.

Ingredients
1tuna lion cut in to bite size cubes (1 gandumas)
2big onion (sliced)
1tbs ginger garlic paste
8curry leaves
4pc 3 pandan leaves
4tbs chicken curry powder
Maldivian chilly (githeyo mirus)
11/2tbs lonumirus curry powder or chillie powder
2tbs tomato paste
Salt
6tbs vegetable oil

Method:
In a sauce pan heat oil add onion, curry leaves, pandan leaves, chilly (as much you want),
ginger garlic paste sate until light caramelized color. Add both curry powder & tomato paste
roast with the caramelized onions until oil separates from onions. Now add fish and salt, stir
constantly on medium heat until fish is cooked, if you want some gravy add 1/2cup coconut
milk give a stir. Serve with rice or roshi or bondibai..................................enjoy!!

Tuna Pan Loaf Pizza

I made this in my cooking class using a chicken version and it tasted so yummy, the taste of egg
toast gives the loaf an extra deliciousness, so I thought I will give a try using a tuna pizza filling. I
made this for the third day iftar and my son loved it.
Ingredients: A
1 can tuna (I used in oil)
1 medium onion (chopped)
Chilly (githeyomirus)
1 spring curry leaves
2 garlic (crushed & chopped)
Salt
5 tbs vegetable oil
Ingredients: B
For the sauce
1/3 cup Chilly & garlic sauce
1/3 cup tomato sauce
Or
You can use your favorite pizza sauce
Ingredients: C
10 eggs
of a medium onion chopped
1/2 tsp pepper powder
Salt
Ingredient: D
10 to 12 slice of Bread (upper hard layer removed)
3 tbs vegetable oil
3 slices of slice cheese
Mozzarella cheese (optional as much you like)
And
You will need about 81/2 inch pan with a lid


Method:

In sauce pan heat 5 tbs oil, fry onion, chilly, garlic and curry leaves until onions are soft. Into
this add tuna and salt, cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add the sauce and mix for
another 2 minutes. Set aside.


In a bowl mix all ingredients C and set aside. Oil the pan generously and dip both sides of
each slice of bread into the egg mixture coat well and arrange bread slices in the pan
covering the entire bottom & sides. To cover small areas just tier the bread in to small
pieces and dip in egg mixture.


When the entire pan is covered with egg dipped bread slices pour the tuna mixture and
spread evenly. Arrange the cheese slices both, slice cheese & mozzarella cheese.

(You can grate the cheese for an even layer, I am too lazy to do that)
Again cover the tuna & cheese mixture by layering bread slices dipped in egg mixture
covering totally, pour rest of the remaining egg mixture on top of the pan loaf.


Put the lid on and on the lowest heat of your stove cook the pan loaf pizza until the bottom
is slightly brown & toasted, it will take about 5 to 10 minutes.


Keep on checking as the loaf may burn easily. Now take the lid off & flip the bottom of the
pan loaf on the inside of the lid, again flip the pan loaf pizza upside down into the pan and
now don't put the lid on, just bake until the bottom is nicely brown. When the bottom of pan
loaf gets brown you can smell bread toasting. This is how I know my pan loaf pizza side is
done. When both sides are baked slice & serve with a salad ........ enjoy!
Baked Curried Chicken with Fried Tomato Couscous



Introducing Couscous to Maldivian cuisine, I have never seen or heard anyone
cooking Couscous here, but I have seen in a TV channel call TLC some of the world
famous chefs cooking Couscous in different ways. Four months before I went to do some
shopping at a shopping Center called Agora & to my surprise I saw a small box
of Couscous but that day I did not buy it. Few days back I went again for shopping &
bought 1 small box. This is one of the important foods which must stay in my pantry without
running out of it.

Fried tomato Couscous
So the big question will be what is COUSCOUS? Couscous is actually a grain food that is
comparable to pasta or rice. It is actually made of semolina wheat that's moistened and
then formed into tiny grain shapes. Couscous grains are smaller than rice grains and are
dusted with flour so that they can retain structure. It can be interesting to know that
couscous is staple food of some regions of the world and is considered like the pasta or rice
in some countries. Just like pasta and rice, the couscous can be very versatile in terms of
preparation and can be used in various dishes and salads, and they can also be used to
prepare side dishes. Couscous is also a very good source of protein, Carbohydrates. The
best thing about couscous is that it contains no cholesterol.

Baked Curried Chicken
I cooked fried tomato Couscous for Fridays special lunch and to go with this Baked curried
chicken & Copy Fai (kind of Kale leaf) salad.


Ingredients for Baked Curried Chicken
1 kg whole Chicken (skin removed)
2 medium onions (sliced)
7 garlic cloves (chopped)
11/2 inch ginger (chopped)
2 springs curry leaves
12 pcs 2 + 1 whole pandan leaves
2 tsp Cumin powder
21/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp fennel seed powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
31/2 tbs lonumirus chicken curry paste
1 tsp whole pepper
11/2 tbs tomato paste
2 inch cinnamon
3 tbs chilly sauce
1cup thick coconut milk
2 good pinch of dried rosemary (optional)
1/2 of a lime
Salt
1/3 cup + 2 tsp vegetable oil

Ingredients for fried tomato CousCous
2tbs chopped onion
1garlic clove (chopped)
6curry leaves
1tsp nigella seeds (Kalhu dhiri) optional
1big Tomato (sliced)
1cup water
1/2cup Couscous
2tbs oil
Salt

Method:
Roasted Chicken Curry:_
Make small incisions on the fleshy areas of the chicken (leg, breast). Leave aside.


In a sauce pan heat 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Add onion, chopped ginger, garlic, curry leaves
and pandan leaves.


Saute until slightly golden. Take half of the onion mixture into another bowl & leave aside.
Add Cumin powder, Coriander powder, fennel seed powder and turmeric powder fry for 2to
3minutes, switch off flame, but don't take the pan out of stove the slight heat is needed yet.
Add Lonumirus curry paste whole pepper & fenugreek seeds crushed with your fingers or a
grinder, tomato paste and 1tsp salt. Mix everything together. Add 2 tsp oil and again mix.


Now line a baking tray big enough to hold the chicken with aluminum foil. Rub this curry
paste on and inside the chicken pushing some paste into the incisions and into the cavity.


When you are finished cut 3 strips of pandan leaf from the whole leaf big enough to tie the
chicken. If you don't have a big whole leaf you can do as I did. I knotted three small strips to
make a big strip enough to tie the chicken. I made three strips like this. Now tie the chicken
with the pandan strips squeezing the legs, the wings inside, so that the flavors will remain
inside the chicken.




Cover the tray with plastic wrap or with aluminum foil & leave the chicken in the fridge to
marinate for 4 hour's or overnight. Pre Heat the oven to 220C, 15 minutes before baking
take the chicken, take out the plastic wrap and sprinkle half of the fried onions which was
taken before on to the marinated chicken, put the tray into the oven and bake for 30
minutes, again take the tray out now some oil will be formed in the bottom of the tray.


Pour the coconut milk, sprinkle 1/2tsp salt, dried rosemary & put the cinnamon stick broken
in to 2into the curry. Being very careful not to tear the aluminum foil mix everything using a
spoon or an egg beater, again put the tray into the oven & leave for 15 minutes again take
the tray out mix the tomato sauce and using a spoon scoop spoonful of gravy or curry on
the chicken. Like this gos on & in each 15minutes take the tray out from oven pour the curry
on the chicken. You can taste the curry at this point & add salt if you need more otherwise
keep on baking like this for 11/2hour or until chicken is cooked. when cooked take the tray
out squeeze 1/2 of the lime on to the roasted chicken.

Method:
Fried tomato CousCous
In sauce pan heat oil, add onion, curry leaves & nigella seeds. Fry for 3minutes until
fragrant.


Add the Tomatoes fry for another 2minutes.


Pour water and season with salt, let the water come to boil as soon it starts boiling switch
off the flame.


Pour the CousCous & cover the pan with lid. Leave for 5minutes, after 5minutes fluff the
couscous with a folk and mix well with the tomatoes......................enjoy a yummy & a
healthy meal.
Fihunu Kukulhu (Roasted Chicken)



Ingredients:
1kg Chicken (Skin removed)
4tbs Lonumirus curry paste
2tbs tomato paste
1 tsp salt & more salt
1 cup water
1 big lime


Method:
Make small incisions on the fleshy areas of the chicken (leg, breast). Mix 1tbs of salt with
1cup of water rinse the chicken with this water even the chicken cavity then leave to drain
for ten minutes.






Mix lonumirus curry paste, tomato paste and salt per your taste. Apply or rub this paste on
the chicken pushing some curry paste inside the incisions and inside the cavity.



Chicken fried Noodles

Hello my readers! After Ramadan this is my first recipe. My apologies to those who were
asking for new recipes, keeping you all waiting. I love eating noodles for dinner, it is light &
easy to make, but today my recipe is not so easy some chopping & frying is needed. After
tasting it's worth of all the little hard work, so here we go..
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 chicken breast or about 100 grms boneless chicken (cut in to bite size cubes)
1/2 tsp salt
Stir fry ingredients:
1 big onion (chopped)
1 medium carrot (chopped or sliced)
2 capsicum (seeds removed & cut in to bite size)
1 leeks (cut thinly or shredded)
1 cup of shredded cabbage
12 curry leaves
Habanero Chilly (Githeyomirus )
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
Sauce:
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbs chilly & garlic sauce
1 tbs lonumirus curry powder (if this is not available add 1/2tbs chilly powder)
1 tbs tomato sauce

3 pkt noodles
4 cups of water

Method:
In a wok or a thavaa add first three ingredients & fry chicken pieces until slightly brown from
outside, take the chicken pieces on to a kitchen towel & leave to drain oil. In the same wok
add all the stir fry ingredients and stir fry until tender. Into this add the sauce ingredients, stir
constantly for two to three minutes, now add the fried chicken pieces & the three soup
packets, which is inside the noodle packets. Stir to combine well, Take out from stove &
leave aside, but don't cover. In another sauce pan start boiling water, as soon it starts to
boil switch off the flame and add the noodles. Cover & leave for two minutes or just until
noodles is tender, but not mushy. Drain water from the noodles and immediately add the
noodles into the chicken & vegetable sauce, put on low flame & using a tong mix the
noodles with the sauce, when mixed well take out from flame & serve hot with an
omelet............................enjoy!

Note: Chilly you can add as much you want. I did not add any salt to this recipe because the
soup sachets inside the noodles packet gives enough salt flavoring.
Gabulhi Majaa with Carrot (Medium young Coconut Salad with
carrot)


Ingredients
500g grated Gabulhi (medium young coconut)
400g grated carrot
200g smoked tuna (sliced & crushed)
1big Maldivian chilly
1big Onion (chopped)
4tsp lime juice
Salt

Method:
Crush onion, chilly, lime and salt. Mix Coconut, smoked tuna, carrot. Serve with
Roshi (Maldivian flat bread) ....................enjoy.
Carrot & Cabbage Salad
This salad is very special for me because it's my kids favorite. If you like you can add 1
cup of grated pineapple or a sweet apple instead of sugar then this salad will be called
Japanese salad .....No idea why.



Ingredients:
2 cups grated Carrot
3 cups grated Cabbage
Small red Onion ( chopped )
4 tbs Mayonnaise
tsp Black Peppercorns (powder)
2 tsp sugar
tsp salt

Method




Mix all ingredients ..............................how easy is that ..............enjoy.
Lonumirus Chicken curry Paste







Ingredients:
3pkts lonumirus curry powder
3medium onions (chopped in to chunks)
6garlic bulb (chopped)
1inch ginger
12 curry leaves
3tbs grated coconut
11/2tbs cumin seeds
1tbs pepper corns
13/4cup water

Method:
Mix all ingredients and grind to a fine paste. This amount of ingredients will make lot of curry
paste so if you want less just reduce the amount to half. Keep in an airtight container up to a
month in fridge....enjoy
Dry Egg Curry



Too much egg is not good for the body, but just in a while no harm eating a delicious dry
egg curry. I was having some extra eggs in my fridge for quite some days so before it
gets spoilt I thought of making something out of it, but not cakes or any sweets so I made
this dry egg curry which we ate with roshi & it just brought me the memories of Chennai
India where for breakfast they had this thick egg curry served with chapatti or Idiappum (rice
noodles) which I loved so much Just yummy yum. To bring a more Indian flavor I added
some garam masala powder.

Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs ( cut vertically in to 4 pieces)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 spring curry leaves
2 garlic bulb (chopped)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (dhiri)
1 tbs flaked chilly (raalhuko muguri hiki mirus)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbs chicken curry powder
1 tbs tomato paste
3 tbs coconut milk
1/3 cup water
Salt
Oil 5 tbs

Method:
In saucepan heat oil, add onion, curry leaves, garlic, saute until onions are soft, now add
cumin seeds, chilly flakes and again saute until onions are slightly brown. Into this add
chicken curry powder & garam masala powder fry until oil separates from the onion mixture,
then add the tomato paste, water & coconut milk, mix everything & cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Into this add the eggs & gently mix taking care not to mash the yolks. Season with salt &
serve with roshi or rice or even bread ........................enjoy!
Devilled chicken with canned pineapple


Devilled means to coat or stuff with a spicy paste but what I have done is other than
making the sauce or the paste spicy I added fresh ingredients which can bring that hot &
spicy flavor to the dish, this dish is colorful, vibrant and a really easy to make, ingredients
contrasts textures and taste with each other creating a wonderful fusion of sweet, sour and
spicy flavor.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken (skin removed, chopped in to pieces)
1 cup vegetable oil
Stir fry :-
1 big onion
6 garlic cloves (chopped)
11/2 inch ginger (chopped)
1 red capsicum (cut in to bite size pieces or strips)
1 orange capsicum (cut in to bite size pieces or strips)
1 big carrot
1/2 tsp freshly chopped chilly (githeyo mirus)
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 large tomatoes (cut in to bite size)
12 curry leaves
Sauce:-
2 tbs lonumirus curry powder or chilly powder
11/2 tbs chicken curry powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs tomato paste
4 tbs chilly & garlic sauce
4 tbs tomato sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt

4 slices of canned pineapple (chopped to bite size)

Method
In a wok or a thavaa add oil and brown chicken in high heat. Once browned remove and set
aside. Using the same wok saut all stir fry ingredients until cooked, but don't let the
vegetables caramelize or change color. Add all the sauce ingredients, combine everything &
stir fry for 2 minutes, now add pineapple & again stir fry for another two minutes. Add
browned chicken stir or combine to coat the chicken with the vegetable sauce. Taste &
adjust the salt & sweet flavor by adding more salt or sugar. Serve with Rice or Roshi
........................................enjoy!

Note: I have used whole chicken, but boneless also can be used.
Faratta (Parotta)





Ingredients
4 cup flour
1 tsp
13/4 cup water
5 tsp oil
1 cup oil

Method
Dough making and kneading.
Mix flour, salt, 5 tsp of oil and water. Knead to make a soft dough, Put it in a bowl and
close it with a plate, let it stay for 30 minutes. You will be needing a big work surface like
a kitchen counter top. Now press the dough and knead it by slowly adding oil (1/4 cup)
little by little. Repeat the process until the dough becomes very soft. Some time you
may think how can this dough become together oil is too much and the dough is falling
apart, but trust me & keep on kneading (20 minutes approx). Now make ten equal
portions (4 cups flour yields only 10 farattas) and put them under a damp cloth or
kitchen towel, this helps it from becoming dry




Stretching the dough
Take one portion and roll it as much as you can with a rolling pin, apply oil about a tsp
for each faratta and stretch it to paper thin size. It might tear in some areas and it does
not have to be a perfect round shape, but the experts of making faratta I have seen
them throwing the dough holding sides in a round motion and it becomes a perfect
round shape, but we are not experts ....right so don't worry OK. Stretch using your
hands or use the rolling pin, oil makes the work easier.




Shaping the dough
Again apply little oil on the stretched surface of the dough. Now using both your hands
try making pleats and fold as you do that. Just like making a paper fan. Start from one
side and finish on the other end lift it up Start rolling it backwards from both ends to form
a round shape. Repeat the whole process for each faratta and store them back under
the damp towel.











Last stretch and toasting the faratta
Keep a flat pan hot and ready while you do the last stretch.





Flame should be on medium high throughout the frying process. Now take one portion of
the shaped dough and slightly roll it with a rolling pin, just one side only. The other side
should be the firm on the bottom do not flip while doing this. Transfer it straight to the flat
pan and let cook for few minutes, now flip on the other side and a tsp of oil, you will see it
becoming fluffy, flip one more time and then put it back on the counter. Using both hands,
try to beat it once, just like clapping, to separate the layers. Serve hot ......................enjoy.