Chocolate Pear Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

75g dark cooking chocolate (broken into pieces)
1 ripe pear (chopped)
250g butter
250g sugar
350g flour
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

Preparation

1. Preheat an oven 10 minutes before using.
2. Mix butter and sugar. Beat with an egg beater till creamy.
3. Gradually add eggs and whisk gently.
4. Sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together in a separate bowl.
5. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a spatula.
6. Mix in the chopped chocolate, pear and vanilla essence.
7. Grease a baking tray and dust with flour.
8. Pour the batter and bake for 35 minutes.

Serve directly or with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Kukulhu Banas (Chicken Buns)

                                                                                                       Serves 8

Dough

1/2 tsp sugar

 100 ml milk

50 ml hot water

2 tsp of dried yeast

200 grams of plain flour

1 tsp salt

25 grams margarine

 Filling

2 cups boiled and shredded chicken

4 large red onions coarsely chopped

2 tbsp Kukulhu Havaadhu (Maldivian chicken curry powder)

3 pieces cinnamon sticks (3 inches each)

¼ tsp cinnamon cardamom powder

3 pieces rampe leaves (3 inches each)

1 hot pepper chilli Githeyo mirus (chopped)

 2 ½ tbsp sugar

2 tbsp margarine

2 tsp salt

 1 egg (beaten)

Preparation of the dough

1. Mix milk and hot water in a bowl.

 2. Dissolve the salt, sugar, and yeast in this mixture.

3. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

4. In a separate bowl rub margarine to flour, pour the above prepared mixture and knead into medium soft dough.

5. Cover with a moist cloth and leave aside until the dough doubles in size.

 6. Punch it down, and gently knead again.

7. Divide into small balls and immediately use the filling

Preparation of the filling

1. Heat a wok and add margarine.

2. Add onion, sugar, rampe leaves, cinnamon sticks and stir fry until the onions turn golden brown.

3. Add curry powder, chilli, cinnamon cardamom powder, shredded chicken and salt.

4. Stir for a few more minutes.

5. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks and rampe leaves.

Preparation of kukulhu Banas

1. Preheat oven

2. Press the dough into small cup shapes and place the filling inside it.

 3. Cover and make into the shape of a bun.

4. Grease a baking tray and arrange the buns.

5. Rub the egg on top of the bun and bake until the buns appear golden brown on top as shown in the picture.

6. Serve hot or cold

Dhandialuvi Boakiba (Manioca Sweet Snack)

Serves 10

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups  manioca Dhandialuvi (grated)

4 cups young coconut Gabulhi (finely grated)

2 cups sugar

1 drop rose essence or jasmine water (optional)

1 tbsp plain white flour (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat  oven.

2. Mix manioca, Gabulhi, sugar, flour and rose essence.

3. Mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.

4. Pour over a greased baking tray.

5. Spread evenly. Flatten the top and bake for 35 minutes.

6. Allow to cool and cut into pieces.

7. Serve cold.

Note: Some do not like to add any essence so adding rose essence or jasmine water is optional. Again there are others who do not add any flour, we like  it this way.

This is one of the most loved Foni Boakiba or sweet snacks for many Maldivians.

Mas Aluvi Roshi (Fish and Potato flat breads)

Serves 5

Ingredients

Roshi

2 cups plain white flour

Hot water ( enough to knead the dough)

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt or according to taste

Filling

2 medim size potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed thoroughly)

130 g smoked tuna valhoa mas (or 1 tin tuna, drained)

½ onion (finely chopped)

12 curry leaves (finely chopped)

3 green chillies (finely chopped)

½ tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)

1 ½ tsp salt or according to taste

Oil to apply on Roshi while cooking

Preparation of dough

1. Put flour into a bowl. Add salt and oil.
2. Gently knead the dough by mixing water.
3. Make into a medium soft dough and divide into 10 balls.
4. Smoothen the balls and leave aside.

Preparation of the filling

1. Mix onion, salt, curry leaf, pepper and green chille.
2. Add the potato and tuna flakes. Mix thoroughly.
3. Divide the filling into 10 equal parts.

Preparation of roshi

1. Take one piece of the prepared dough and make a dent.
2. Stuff with the filling. Close and make into a round ball.
3. Dust the ball with flour and roll out into (20 cm wide) roshi or flat breads (roll gently, dusting with flour)
4. Heat a pan and put the roshi. Toss and cook each side by applying a drop of oil on each side. Cook till the roshi is slightly brown.
5. Serve hot with any dry curry or a mushuni.

Lunboa Badhan Bai (Lemon & Peanut Rice)

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups rice
3 cups water (adjust  according to the cooking instructions for the particular type of rice)
½ cup raw peanuts
2 tsp lime juice
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 onion (chopped)
2 tsp coriander (chopped)
1 tsp butter
2 tsp salt or according to taste
Preparation
1.    Wash and drain the rice.
2.    Wash and drain the peanuts.
3.    After adding water, add the remaining ingredients (except coriander leaves) and cook.
4.    Once rice is cooked gently stir the rice with a spatula.
5.    Serve hot with coriander leaves sprinkled on top for garnishing.

Ambu Pudding (Mango Pudding)

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 ripe mango (peeled and sliced)

200g vanilla sponge cake

6 eggs

1/2 tin condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 tbsp sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven.

2. Beat the eggs.

4. Add condensed milk and vanilla essence and beat again.

 5. Pour sugar to the baking tray, heat above a flame until the sugar caramalises and turns golden brown.

6. Put a layer of mango slices on top of the caramalised sugar.

 7. Cut the sponge cake into thin slices and arrange a layer  on top of the mango.

 9. Pour the egg mixture on top

10. Bake for 30 minutes (or steam).

11. Turn over onto a serving dish.

12. Serve hot or cold.

Note: It goes well when served with a layer of mango or vanilla icecream!

Noodles Fatha Folhi !

 Ingredients

2 pkts  noodles (100 grams each)

2 cups Maldive fish flakes or 2 cans tuna in oil

 2 tsp salt

1 onion(finely chopped)

½ hot pepper chilli githeyo mirus(chopped)

½ tbsp  red chilli powder

12 curry leaves (finely chopped)

1 cup grated coconut

2 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 cup hot  water

 Preparation

1. Preheat oven
2. Crush the noodles into tiny pieces
3. Mix onions, chilli, curry leaf, lemon juice and salt. Mix till  juices from the onion flows into the mixture.
4. Add coconut and turmeric powder and mix well.
5. Add the noodles and mix again.
6. Pour the hot water and mix.
7. Oil a medium size baking tray and pour the above mixture.
8. Even the top and bake for 30 minutes
9. Cut into slices and serve hot or cold