Cooking with love in the Maldives with RIU
date_range 7 January, 2020 question_answer Leave your thoughtsIn this post we are going to the Maldives to cook one of the star dishes of this heavenly destination: National Maldivian Kukulhu Riha. In order to prepare this dish our top chef Aritha Fernando will teach us how to prepare this delicious recipe step by step.
This is a very special dish for our chef, who usually prepares this for her family and she says she has chosen to tell us how to prepare this dish that she is proud to cook on a regular basis for our guests “because it is the perfect blend of traditional Maldivian food and a dash of love.
This is not just any old dish but rather one that she learnt from her mother who would cook it for her and her siblings when they were young and it was only once she became a chef that she managed to discover its secret ingredient: a sprinkling of love: Although all the other ingredients are crucial, without this extra touch, this dish would not be the same. When should we prepare it? It is the perfect meal for any time of the day!
| Item | Unit | Quantity |
| Boneless chicken (12 pieces) | 1 | kg |
| Onion | 150 | g |
| Garlic | 25 | g |
| Chopped ginger | 15 | g |
| Sliced green chile | 5 | g |
| Diced tomato | 50 | g |
| Rampe (Pandan leaves) | 20 | g |
| Curry leaves | 5 | g |
| Ground toasted cardamom | 5 | g |
| Toasted ground cloves | 2 | g |
| Chili powder | 10 | g |
| Maldivian chicken curry powder | 25 | g |
| Turmeric powder | 10 | g |
| Coconut milk | 200 | ml |
| Scotch bonnet | 10 | g |
| Tamarind | 25 | g |
| Vegetable oil | 75 | ml |
| Salt and pepper to taste |
How is this dish prepared?
Firstly we should take out a large frying pan where we will start to heat up the vegetable oil. Once the oil is heated we will add onion, garlic, ginger, green chile, curry leaves, pandan leaves, cloves and cardamom until they begin to brown. Next we should add the powdered chili, turmeric and the tomato slices. Once these ingredients are cooked we should add the chicken and let all the ingredients mix together over the heat for five minutes.
We should now add the coconut milk and continue cooking until all the ingredients have softened. We will then add the curry, the tamarind, the salt and pepper to taste and we will have prepared our dish! We will then add the final touch of the sliced scotch bonnet.
Now your dish is ready to serve! This chicken is best served with rice in order to ensure it is an authentic National Maldivian Kukulhu Riha dish. With a few simple steps you can take a slice of paradise to your table and if not, come at stay at RIU and try it with us in the Maldives. Our chef is waiting for you!