Boashi Mas Huni

Maldivians have many methods of preparing banana blossom. It can be deep fried to make a crunchy condiment called theluli boashi, and it can be cooked with spices to make a dry curry type dish called meerukuri boashi. It can also be sautéed with onions, bilimbi, dried chillies and smoked tuna for a dish we call boashi hikikoh.

Here we have the recipe for boashi mas huni. It’s ideal for breakfast time; enjoy it with Maldivian flatbread roshi and a cup of hot black tea.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 small banana blossom (300 grams)
• 1 large onion
• ½ scotch bonnet pepper (or to taste)
• 5 curry leaves
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced smoked tuna
• 2 ½ cups water (for boiling the banana blossom)
• 1 lime
• 1/3 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1 cup grated coconut

Instructions:

1. Clean the banana blossom by removing a couple of the outer petals along with the florets. Wash thoroughly.
2. Add around 2 cups water to a large bowl and slice the banana blossom into this bowl. Our slices were around a centimeter wide. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Slice the onion widthwise thinly. Quartering the onion first and then slicing the quarters thinly would make mixing so much easier later on.
4. Slice the scotch bonnet thinly and mince the curry leaves. Slice the smoked tuna thinly too. Set aside.
5. Add 2 ½ cups water to a pot along with the sliced banana blossom (discard the soaking water). Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it boil for 7 minutes or until the banana blossom is cooked but not yet mushy. When cooked, drain and set aside.
6. Add the sliced onion, lime juice, and scotch bonnet pepper and salt to a mixing bowl.  Using your fingers mix, squash and squeeze the mixture until the onion releases its juices.
7. Add the grated coconut, curry leaves and smoked tuna and mix well again using your fingers.
8. Add the boiled banana blossom, and mix using your fingers again, but without as much squeezing and squashing as before as we want the banana blossom to lend the dish some bite.
9. Do a taste test and add more salt, lime or scotch bonnet if you want to.