Our main cuisine guide covers mas huni and garudhiya as the two dishes most visitors hear about first — but riha, the general Maldivian term for a curry-style dish, is arguably a more everyday, dinner-table staple than either.
Mas riha
The most common version is mas riha, a tuna-based curry built on a coconut milk base with curry leaves and chilli — closer in spirit to a Sri Lankan or South Indian fish curry than to the milder curries more familiar in some Western contexts, though heat levels vary by household and kitchen.
How it's typically served
Riha is generally served with either rice or roshi (see our cuisine guide for how roshi compares to other flatbreads), with the curry acting as a rich, sauce-heavy centrepiece rather than a dry dish.
Beyond fish
While tuna dominates given the country's fishing economy (see our fishing industry & economy guide), chicken and vegetable versions of riha exist too, following the same coconut-and-spice base.
Where to try it
Like most authentically local dishes, riha is more reliably found on a local island (see our eating on a local island guide) than on a resort's international buffet — though a growing number of resorts include it as part of a themed "local night" menu.