This is a favourite tea time snack for Maldivians. A spicy tuna filling goes inside these egg shaped dough balls and after that it’s boiled and lightly coated in a curry sauce. Maldivians call it curried eggs hence the shape, I call it Maldivian ravioli. Soft spicy and delicious.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6-8 (entrée)
Filling
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion or 75gram onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 habanero chilli or to taste, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig curry leaves thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon or juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
- 1 tin (185g) tuna chunks in oil, drained
Method
- Place the onion, chilli, curry leaves, lemon juice, turmeric and salt in a bowl.
- Combine using your hand(I use a disposable glove since the chilli irritates my skin). Don’t be afraid to squeeze the mixture well to ensure the ingredients are blended well.
- Add the desiccated coconut and mix again.
- Add the tuna and mix well and combine everything together.
- Make 28 small balls by squeezing the excess liquid.
- It is important to squeeze and discard the excess liquid while you are making the balls, so as to hold the dough together while cooking them.
- Keep aside on a plate.
Dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon oil (olive or sunflower oil)
- 1/2 cup boiling hot water
Method
- Place everything in a bowl, mix with a spoon until the mixture comes together.
- Knead with your hands for about 3-4 minutes until smooth and pliable.
- Make 28 small balls.
- Arrange on a plate
Now to assemble them
- Take one dough ball in your hand, flatten it slightly and place one ball of the fish filling inside.
- Fold and close the dough over the filling by gently pressing and turning until it is smooth and shaped into an egg.
- Repeat with the remaining dough balls and fish filling.
- Arrange on a single layer on a plate.
Boiling the dough balls
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium sized pot.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil.
While the water is boiling make the curry sauce.
Curry sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1/2 small onion or 50 gram onion thinly sliced
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1/4 habanero sliced or to taste
- 1×5 cm pandan leaf
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon curry powder (I used Babas Fish Curry Powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk powder dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
Method
- Heat the oil in medium fry pan.
- Add the onion, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, chilli, and pandan leaf and fry on medium high heat until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the tomato paste and mix together.
- Add the curry powder, salt and give it a stir.
- Add the coconut milk and keep cooking on low heat.
Final Assembly
- Gently add the egg shaped dough balls in the boiling water give them a stir from time to time and let them cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they float to the top.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon or strain through a sieve or colander and gently place in the curry sauce.
- Carefully stir the egg shaped dough balls in the sauce until they are lightly coated.
- Cook for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat.
Enjoy with a cup of tea.
If you make the recipe, please share it by tagging #nattulicious on Instagram
Such an interesting recipe… So good to learn about your culture and food… 🙂
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thank you so much!
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Reblogged this on Crackling Pork Rinds.
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These turned out perfect and so good! Havaadhuleebis is my favourite hedhikaa and I’m always on the lookout for the perfect one. I went a bit easy on the lime and extra on the chilli because I like my food “unusually” spicy. But that’s a personal taste. Your recipe is perfect 🙌🏾 Thank you!
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Hi Zeena, thank you so much for making it, and for the lovely feedback. So happy you liked it, one of my favourites too. Take care🙌🏼
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