Ramadan Treats: Havaadhu-lee Bis

"They call this Havaadhu-lee BLISS"

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 can tuna chunks in oil (drained)

1/2 cup grated coconut

1 onion (thinly sliced)

1/2 teaspoon ginger (grated, or paste)

6 curry leaves (chopped)

1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped finely)

1/2 lime (deseeded)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Curry for the final coating:

1 onion (thinly sliced)

1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon garlic (grated, or paste)

1/2 teaspoon ginger (grated or paste)

6 curry leaves

2 3-inch pieces of ran'ba leaves

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoon curry paste of choice (Hanaakuri havaadhu or Addu havaadhu is my preference)

Directions:

Dough:

- Mix salt and flour. Make a well and add oil. Start gradually adding the hot water as needed and kneading the dough until it is soft and smooth. Don't let the dough become sticky, if it does, add a little flour. Once the right consistency is reached, divide into equal sized balls.

Filling:

- Place the onions, scotch bonnet, salt, ginger, curry leaves, turmeric in a bowl. Squeeze lime over it and squash with your fingers until onions are softened and juices are released.

- Add in the tuna and mix again.

- Add in the grated coconut and mix until evenly distributed.

- Make tight balls from the filling, squeezing out excess juices.

The Bis:

- Take the dough balls you made earlier and flatten it out

- Place a fillings tuna ball in the center of the flattened dough ball

- Close the dough around the tuna ball, squeezing with your fingers to ensure dough is tightly closed all around, leaving no gaps.

- Between your palms, shape the filled dough ball into an egg shape and leave aside.

- Repeat

- Bring a large pot of water to boil.

- Once it starts bubbling, add in the stuffed bis gently into the boiling water. Adding a little oil will prevent the bis from sticking to each other.

- Let it cook on medium heat for about ten minutes.

- You will know the bis is cooked when they start floating. You can remove the bis from the water and keep them in a strainer then.

Curry for the final coating:

- In a large pan, saute' the onions, ginger, garlic, scotch bonnet, curry leaves and ran'ba.

- Now add in the curry paste and chili powder. Stir and cook until it becomes fragrant.

- Add in the coconut milk and salt, stir it all together and leave until it begins to bubble.

The Final Step:

- Transfer the cooked bis into the havaadhu you prepared and gently use a spatula to toss it so that the havaadhu (curry) coats all the bis.