Ramadan Treats: Kulhi Boakiba

"There's so many variations now: noodles boakiba, oats fathafolhi, rihaakuru boakiba, but I'm telling you, plain old kulhi boakiba... this is the real MVP."

Ingredients:

2 cans tuna chunks in oil [drained]

1 cup smoke tuna (valhomas) [finely chopped]

1 cup grated coconut

1 cup rice flour [preferably coarse, or if you have the time and patience, you can soak rice overnight and grind it for a more original taste]

2 onions [thinly sliced]

2 limes [halved and deseeded]

1 scotch bonnet pepper [finely chopped]

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste [or grated ginger]

12 curry leaves [chopped thinly]

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons salt

water

oil

Directions

- Take a bowl, add in onions, scotch bonnet pepper, curry leaves, ginger paste, turmeric and salt. Squeeze the limes over this. Use your fingers and squash it all together until the onions become soft and release juices.

- Now add in the tuna, and mix it all together

- Then it is time to add in the grated coconut and the rice flour and mix it all together.

- Add in some water so that the mixture remains wet but not like a liquid. The consistency should be similar to a paste. Mix everything together until it is evenly combined.

- If you are baking the boakiba in an oven, lightly spread oil on a baking tray, making sure to cover the bottom as well as the sides.

- If you are baking the boakiba on the stove top, lightly spread oil on a covered pan

- Pour the mixture into the tray or pan and gently tap on top to smoothen it out.

- If in oven, preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the boakiba starts to brown on top.

- If on the stovetop, keep the flame on medium and let the boakiba cook covered for about 15 to 20 minutes or until you can smell the mouthwatering aroma of a baking boakiba. Flip it, and cook in on the other side for another 15 to 20 minutes.