Chef's Spotlight: Authentic Maldivian Kulhimas

A Taste of the Maldives for Your Guests

Kulhimas, literally "small tuna" in Dhivehi, is a dry, spiced tuna preparation that sits somewhere between a stir-fry and a sauté. Unlike the sauced richness of mas riha, kulhimas is bold, relatively dry, and intensely flavored: tuna cooked down with onion, curry leaves, chili, and spices until most of the moisture has evaporated, leaving deeply caramelized, aromatic flakes of fish.

It is served as a side dish at breakfast and lunch, scooped onto roshi, or eaten alongside rice. For resort kitchens, kulhimas works exceptionally well as a local accompaniment dish, a roshi filling, or a component in a Maldivian tasting menu.

This recipe is scaled to serve 10 and includes notes for commercial kitchen preparation.

The Foundation: Choosing the Right Tuna

Kulhimas is traditionally made with fresh skipjack tuna, cut into very small pieces or roughly minced, a notably different cut from the large chunks used in mas riha. The small size is intentional: it increases the surface area in contact with the pan, accelerating caramelization and allowing the spices to deeply coat every piece.

What to look for:

• Fresh skipjack tuna (kalhubilamas), firm and brightly colored
• For kulhimas specifically, the tuna is cut into approximately 1 cm dice, much smaller than for curry
• If fresh skipjack is unavailable, high-quality frozen loins work well; thaw overnight under refrigeration

Chef's note on texture: The goal for kulhimas is a relatively dry final product, the tuna should be cooked down until it is just short of crisp at the edges. Do not rush the sauté. Resist the urge to add liquid; moisture is the enemy of the correct texture here.

Explorica supplies MSC-certified Maldivian skipjack tuna year-round in fresh and frozen formats. Speak to our team about fresh delivery schedules for your atoll.

Ingredients (Serves 10)

Protein

• 1 kg fresh skipjack tuna, cut into 1 cm dice
• 1 teaspoon salt (for pre-seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (for pre-seasoning)

Aromatics

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 medium red onions, finely diced (about 250 g)
• 6 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 15 fresh curry leaves (2–3 sprigs)
• 4 green chilies, finely sliced
• 2 dried red chilies, broken in half
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and finely sliced (optional, adds citrus fragrance)

Spice Blend

• 1.5 tablespoons Maldivian curry powder (dhivehi havaadhu)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

Finishing

• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated coconut (optional garnish)

Preparation Method

Step 1: Season the Tuna

Toss the diced tuna with salt and turmeric. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes. This draws out a small amount of surface moisture and begins flavoring the flesh before it hits the pan.

Step 2: Build the Aromatic Base

1. Heat coconut oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat, use a pan with plenty of surface area to avoid steaming the tuna
2. Add dried red chilies and allow them to blister for 20 seconds
3. Add onions and cook, stirring regularly, until golden and beginning to caramelize, 8–10 minutes. This step is critical; under-cooked onions will make the finished dish taste raw and sharp
4. Add garlic, ginger, curry leaves, green chilies, and lemongrass (if using). Stir for 2 minutes until fragrant and the raw garlic smell has gone

Step 3: Bloom the Spices

1. Reduce heat to medium
2. Add curry powder, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, and fennel
3. Stir continuously for 60 seconds until the spices are deeply fragrant and have coated the onion mixture
4. If the pan looks dry, add a single tablespoon of water, just enough to prevent burning, no more

Step 4: Sauté the Tuna

1. Increase heat to medium-high
2. Add the seasoned tuna dice to the pan
3. Toss immediately to coat all the tuna pieces in the spiced onion mixture
4. Sauté, tossing or stirring every 60–90 seconds, for 8–12 minutes. The tuna will release moisture initially, continue cooking until this moisture has fully evaporated and the tuna begins to caramelize and darken slightly at the edges
5. The finished kulhimas should be relatively dry, with each piece of tuna coated in spices and lightly golden in places, not stewed or saucy

Step 5: Finish and Season

1. Remove from heat
2. Squeeze over lime juice and toss to combine
3. Taste and adjust salt
4. For a textural garnish, scatter a small amount of freshly grated coconut over the finished dish

Plating and Serving Suggestions

Traditional Style

Kulhimas is served as a side dish at breakfast and lunch, typically alongside:

• Roshi, kulhimas is one of the most popular roshi fillings in the Maldives
• Steamed rice with a simple broth
• Mas huni or other dry side dishes as part of a spread

Fine Dining Presentation

• Serve a neat spoonful of kulhimas atop a freshly made roshi round, folded or presented open
• Garnish with a single fresh curry leaf, a fine lime zest curl, and a scattering of lightly toasted grated coconut
• Accompany with a small ramekin of lonumirus (Maldivian chili paste) on the side
• Works well as a composed canapé: a small roshi crisp topped with a portion of kulhimas and a wedge of fresh lime

Buffet Service

• Hold in a chafing dish at 63°C minimum, kulhimas holds its texture well at temperature, unlike sauced dishes
• Keep covered to retain moisture
• Label as: "Maldivian Spiced Tuna Kulhimas, Skipjack, Curry Leaf, Coconut Oil"
• Pair with a roshi station and a simple condiment of sliced chili and lime

Scaling for Commercial Kitchens

Batch Sizes

• 25 covers: Multiply all ingredients by 2.5. Sauté in batches, do not overcrowd the pan or the tuna will steam rather than sear
• 50 covers: Multiply by 5. Prepare aromatic base in a tilt pan; sauté tuna in separate batches and combine
• 100+ covers: Pre-cook the aromatic spice base up to 24 hours ahead. Sauté tuna in batches as close to service as practical, the dish holds well but is at its best freshly cooked

Prep-Ahead Notes

• The aromatic onion and spice base (steps 2–3) can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated
• Tuna should be diced and seasoned no more than 2 hours before cooking for best texture
• Cooked kulhimas holds well for up to 4 hours refrigerated; reheat in a dry pan over medium heat to revive the slightly caramelized texture, do not microwave or add water

Key Ingredients to Stock

As with mas riha, Maldivian curry powder (dhivehi havaadhu) is essential for the correct flavor profile, generic curry powder will produce a noticeably different result. Fresh curry leaves are also important and significantly better than dried. Both are available through Explorica.

A Note on Authenticity

Kulhimas is fundamentally a home cook's dish, fast, practical, and satisfying. Recipes vary by island and household: some versions are drier, some include a small amount of grated coconut cooked in, some use smoked tuna (hikimas) instead of fresh for an even more intense flavor. This version uses fresh skipjack, which gives a cleaner, lighter result suited to resort dining.

If you want to experiment with smoked tuna kulhimas as a variation, reduce the initial salt and be prepared for a more assertive, umami-forward dish.

Sourcing Through Explorica

All core ingredients for this recipe, fresh and frozen skipjack tuna, coconut oil, curry leaves, dhivehi havaadhu, and fresh grated coconut, are available through your regular Explorica order. Contact our support team to add any new items to your standing order, or request a sample pack if you are trialing kulhimas for the first time.