Dhonkeyo: Bananas in Maldivian Cuisine

by Iyath Adam

Bananas – or keyo in Dhivehi – is used extensively in Maldivian cooking, in a variety of forms. From the banana blossom (boashi) to the banana leaves (keyo faiy) and unripe bananas (maalhoskeyo), bananas are a much-loved ingredient in our dishes. 

The type of bananas grown in the Maldives – what we usually call dhonkeyo – are typically on the smaller side and finger-shaped with vibrant yellow skin. When ripened, it has a sweet taste, without being overpoweringly cloying. This banana can be eaten on its own and is also mashed and mixed with different grains to make sweet dishes. 

Traditional maahefun dishes like maafuh, aveli and foni faaroshi are all made by mixing mashed bananas with finger millet, flattened rice, biscuit rusk respectively, as well as sugar and grated coconut. 

Perhaps the most well-known banana recipe in the Maldives is dhonkeyo kaju – banana fritters – a delicious teatime snack. Made by deep frying a mixture of overly ripe bananas, flour, sugar, and grated coconut, it’s crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with a subtle, sweet banana flavour. 

Ripe bananas were also eaten in something known as hakuraa bathaa dhonkeylaa. Directly translated to sugar, banana, and rice, this was a popular staple dish eaten in the Maldives earlier, especially for haaru or suhoor time during Ramadan. As the name suggests, ripe bananas were mashed, then mixed with cooked white rice, along with a little sugar and eaten on its own. Often, valhomas (smoked tuna) or fihunumas (spicy, pan-fried fish) were also eaten along with this as a side. Ripe bananas are also mixed with cut-up roshi (Maldivian flatbread) and eaten this way.

Maalhoskeyo or green plantains are a larger, starchier, and less sweet type of banana, which is typically not eaten raw. It can be eaten as is – just sliced, then boiled or steamed – with staples such as garudhiya (Maldivian fish broth) and rihaakuru dhiya. 

The most beloved savoury dish made with maalhoskeyo is maalhoskeylu hiki riha, a type of dry curry made with spices, coconut milk and tuna which is usually eaten with roshi. 

Sweet desserts made with maalhoskeyo include kirukeyo (a drink made with coconut milk) and maalhoskeyo kan’dhi (a dessert drink with rice flour and coconut milk). Another sweet snack made with this is hakurulee maalhoskeyo – thin slices of fried plantains which are then sweetened with sugar.  

Another type of banana which is widely consumed is fuskeyo – a sweeter variety with a slightly harder and cloudier skin.  The more it ripens, the sweeter it becomes and is great to be eaten by itself. 

The banana blossom or boashi is made in many different ways in Maldivian cuisine. To prepare the boashi for cooking, the magenta-coloured outer husk is first peeled off, along with some of the florets. The flesh inside – which is a yellow-gray colour – is then thinly sliced. To remove its starchy stickiness and make it a bit easier to cook, the sliced boashi is soaked in slightly salted water before cooking. 

Different ways to make boashi include theluli boashi (fried to make a sambal), boashi hikikoh (lightly sauteed with smoked tuna) and hanaakuri boashi (spicy, curried boashi). It is also mixed with grated coconut and smoked tuna to make a version of mashuni. 

Banana leaves or keyo faiy or dhonkeyo faiy also play an important part in the Maldivian cooking process. They are traditionally dried and used as an organic, biodegradable food wrap for local delicacies like Addu bondi. It is also used to wrap snacks like huni hakuru folhi and Eid kunbus, before being cooked.