Today I am making a tuna rice or Masbaiy. This is a one-pot dish that Maldivians usually cook when they go on picnics. It is also a popular dish cooked for Friday lunch. It is generally served with Maldivian fish paste or thelli rihaakuru, but can be enjoyed on its own with a green salad.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes (plus 10 minutes standing time)
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
5 cardamom pods, lightly bruised
1 x 3cm cinnamon stick
1 sprig curry leaves
2 x 6cm pandan leaf
2 chicken stock cubes
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 habanero chilli
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tin (185g) tuna chunks in oil drained
3 and 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
- Wash the rice in cold water, then leave to soak for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, ginger, cardamoms, cinnamon, curry leaves, pandan leaf and stock cubes. Fry until golden.
- Add the rice, turmeric and cumin powder and fry for another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add the water, salt, chilli and peppercorns and bring to a boil.
- Add the fish and stir well.
- Cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid and cook over a very low heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and fluff up the rice gently with a fork and serve hot accompanied with the Maldivian fish paste or a green salad.
