Mas riha recipe: Maldivian tuna curry

In Dhivehi, *mas* means fish and *riha* means curry. Because “fish” in the Maldives almost always means tuna, mas riha is, in practice, tuna curry. Most cooks use skipjack tuna (*kandumas*), the fish landed by the country’s pole-and-line boats, though yellowfin works just as well.

It is a home dish first. Families cook a pot for lunch or dinner, and leftovers often turn up again the next morning with roshi and sweet tea. You will also find it in local cafés, usually listed simply as “fish curry”.

Compared with many south Asian curries, mas riha is fairly mild and rounded. The heat comes mostly from fresh chilli served on the side, so each person can add their own. Coconut milk gives it a soft, creamy finish, and curry leaves give it the fragrance that makes it taste of the islands.

It sits in a small family of everyday tuna dishes. Garudhiya is the clear broth; mas huni is the breakfast mix of tuna and coconut; mas riha is the richer, saucier one.

Serves 4.

For the curry

• Tuna: about 500 g fresh skipjack or yellowfin tuna, skin and dark bloodline removed, cut into 2–3 cm cubes. Any firm white fish can stand in.
• Onions: 2 medium, finely sliced.
• Garlic: 4 cloves, finely chopped.
• Ginger: a thumb-sized piece, grated.
• Curry leaves: a generous handful (about 15–20 leaves).
• Chilli: 1–2 small hot chillies, slit lengthways. Maldivian *githeyo mirus* is fiery; a bird’s eye chilli is a good match.
• Tomato: 1 medium, chopped (optional, but common today).
• Oil: 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil.
• Salt: to taste.
• Coconut milk: about 400 ml. Use thick milk from a tin, or squeeze your own from freshly grated coconut.
• Water: about 250 ml.

Spices

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3–4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1–2 teaspoons chilli powder, to taste

If you have a mild curry powder at home, 1½–2 tablespoons can replace the ground spices. Many Maldivian kitchens use a ready-made curry mix.

To serve

• Steamed white rice or roshi (see the mas huni recipe for a simple roshi method)
• Lime wedges, sliced onion and fresh chilli on the side

1. Prepare the fish. Rinse the tuna cubes, pat them dry and toss them with the turmeric and a good pinch of salt. Leave them for 10 minutes while you start the base.

2. Soften the onion. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and fennel seeds and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.

3. Add the aromatics. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry leaves and slit chillies. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the leaves crackle and the kitchen smells fragrant.

4. Bloom the spices. Turn the heat down. Add the cumin, coriander and chilli powder (or curry powder) with a splash of water to stop them burning. Stir for a minute until the oil starts to separate from the paste. This step builds most of the flavour, so don’t rush it.

5. Add the tomato. If using, add the tomato and cook for 3–4 minutes until it breaks down into the paste.

6. Simmer the fish. Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Slide in the tuna and spoon the sauce over it. Cover and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, turning the pieces once. Tuna toughens if it boils hard, so keep the bubbles small.

7. Finish with coconut milk. Pour in the coconut milk and stir gently. Simmer uncovered for 5–8 minutes, without letting it boil fast, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the fish.

8. Taste and rest. Check the salt. Take the pan off the heat and leave it for 5–10 minutes; the flavours settle and the sauce thickens a little more.

Serve hot with rice or roshi, with lime, onion and chilli at the table.

At home, mas riha is usually ladled over rice at lunch or dinner. People mix it with their right hand, squeeze over some lime and add bites of raw onion and chilli between mouthfuls. A small spoon of *rihaakuru*, the dark, salty tuna paste, sometimes goes on the side for extra depth.

With roshi, it becomes a breakfast or late-evening meal: tear off a piece of flatbread, pinch up some fish and sauce, and eat it like a small wrap with a cup of tea.

On a local island, mas riha is often part of a spread rather than the only dish: a curry, a plate of fried or grilled fish, rice, roshi, a bowl of salad leaves with lime, and perhaps some hedhikaa left over from teatime.

• Dry or thick (*mas riha* reduced): some cooks simmer the sauce down until it clings to the fish, which keeps better and suits roshi.
• With vegetables: pieces of pumpkin, aubergine, drumstick (moringa) pods or green banana are added at step 6 to stretch the pot.
• Smoked tuna: a spoonful of grated dried tuna (*valhoa mas*) stirred in with the spices adds a smoky note.
• Other curries: the same method makes *kukulhu riha* (chicken curry) or a vegetable curry. For meat-free ideas, see our vegetarian and vegan food guide.

The easiest place to try real mas riha is a local island, where cafés and guesthouse kitchens cook for local families as well as visitors. On Dhiffushi, the catch comes in at the harbour when the boats return, and fish curry with rice is easy to find on the island. Ask your guesthouse the day before if you would like it cooked for dinner. Our guide to food in Dhiffushi explains what to order and when, and Maldivian food: dishes to try covers the wider kitchen.

All food on local islands is halal, and there is no alcohol; fresh lime juice or coconut water goes well with curry. Remember that many cafés close for a while around Friday midday prayer, and during Ramadan meals are served after sunset; see Ramadan in the Maldives.