Maldive fish, called umbalakada (උම්බලකඩ) in Sinhala, is cured skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and one of the quiet foundations of Sri Lankan cooking. A spoonful gives sambols, curries and tempered dishes a deep, savoury taste of the sea, much as shrimp paste does in Thai or Malay food.
Lakpura® Maldive Fish comes as ready-broken chips, so there is no need to chip a whole cured loin at home.
How it is made
The method came to Sri Lanka from the Maldives, where skipjack has been preserved this way for centuries. The tuna is boiled in salted water, smoked and then dried in the sun until it is as hard as wood. It is a close cousin of Japanese katsuobushi, which is smoke-dried for longer. The flavour is concentrated and rich in umami, like dried shrimp or anchovy but leaning more towards fish.
How to use
- Sambols: pound about a teaspoon with salt, chilli and onion for pol sambol or lunu miris, or stir a handful into seeni sambol as the onions caramelise.
- Curries: a little in a vegetable curry such as potato curry or dhal thickens the gravy and carries much of the flavour.
- Tempered dishes: add it to the pan with onion, curry leaves and dried chilli when tempering greens, beans or potatoes.
- Texture: the chips are hard and chewy straight from the pack. Pound or grind them for a fine finish, or soak them briefly in warm water before cooking. A little goes a long way.
Product details
- Product: Maldive fish chips (cured, dried skipjack tuna)
- Pack sizes: 150g, 250g, 500g, 750g and 1kg
- Storage: keep sealed in a cool, dry place; once opened, store in an airtight glass jar. Kept dry, it lasts for months without refrigeration.
Read more about Maldive fish and its place in Sri Lankan and Maldivian cuisine.
