Hanaakuri Boava

Our Hanaakuri Boava or octopus is made with a freshly toasted home-made spice mixture. This is super aromatic and spicy, perfect for a nice breakfast or lunch.

To serve with our octopus, we have used the Pillsbury Multigrain Roti provided to us by one of our partners, Sosun Fihaara. This roti is a soft and healthy flatbread made with a blend of whole wheat and nutritious grains. It is quick to heat, easy to serve and a wholesome choice for everyday meals.

Serving size: 2-3

Ingredients:

For boiling the octopus

• 300g cleaned and chopped octopus (around ½-inch pieces) 
• 2 cups water

For the Hanaakuri Havaadhu

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 3 cardamom pods (seeds only)
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon
• 8 dried red chillies
• ½ tbsp cumin seeds

For the Hanaakuri Boava

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 thinly sliced onion (medium-sized)
• 1 garlic clove (chopped)
• 7 curry leaves
• 3-inch piece of pandan
• ½ of a scotch bonnet
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• ½ tsp salt

For serving

• 4 Pillsbury Multigrain Roti

Instructions:

1. To start off, heat up a pan and add 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp peppercorns, seeds from 3 cardamom pods, 1-inch piece of cinnamon sticks, and 8 dried red chillies.
2. Toast the mixture on low to medium heat for around 4-5 minutes or until the coriander seeds make a popping sound and you can smell the spices. You’ll have to stir with a wooden spatula at regular intervals so that the spices don’t burn.
3. Then add in ½ tbsp cumin seeds to the spices and continue to toast for another half a minute while stirring continuously. Remove the pan from heat and let the spices cool down for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the spices to a small blender and grind on high speed until a fine powder forms. For this, first grind for 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides and grind for another 30 seconds. Set aside.
5. Now onto preboiling the octopus. To a small pot, add 2 cups of water and 300g chopped octopus and boil for around 7 minutes or until you can easily pierce the octopus with a fork. Then drain and rinse with running water to clean and avoid further cooking. Set aside.
6. Next, to a small pot, add 2tbsp oil and heat on high heat for 30 seconds and add in 1 thinly sliced onion (medium-sized), 1 clove of garlic (chopped), 7 curry leaves, a 3-inch piece of pandan leaf, and ½ of a scotch bonnet.
7. On medium heat, sauté using a spatula for 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent and lightly golden in colour. Then add 1 ½ tbsp of the prepared Hanaakuri Havaadhu and 2 tbsp tomato paste and continue to cook for 1 minute on medium high heat.
8. Then add 1/3 cup coconut milk and ½ tsp salt. Stir and cook the mixture for 1 minute. Lastly, add the boiled octopus and cook for 1 more minute on high heat, until the spicy sauce is well incorporated with the octopus. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. Heat up a pan on high heat and warm up 4 Pillsbury Multigrain Rotis for 30-40 seconds on each side. Serve the octopus with the roti and enjoy!