In the narrow lanes of Malé’s main island, between three and five in the afternoon, the glass display cases of hotaa cafes fill with trays of freshly fried snacks, and the city effectively pauses for the afternoon ritual known as hedhikaa time. This daily break, observed in workplaces and cafes across the archipelago, is the most natural entry point into the world of Maldivian short eats — a category of fried, baked, and stuffed snacks far more varied than the resort-buffet version of “tuna and coconut” suggests.
Between three and five o’clock, the glass display cases in hotaa cafes are stocked with freshly prepared snacks.
This guide breaks down the major short eats by ingredient, texture, and occasion — from the lentil fritters known as kavaabu to the crepe-like riha folhi — and explains where to find them outside resort contexts. Understanding these snacks means understanding how Maldivians actually eat, which rarely resembles the curated tasting menus served to tourists.
Hedhikaa is not a snack category you can fully experience at a resort. The real range — including at least six distinct preparations of tuna — shows up in Malé’s afternoon cafe rush and in home kitchens. The catch is timing: most items are fried fresh and don’t hold well, so the window between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. is when you’ll find the best selection and texture.
Understanding Hedhikaa: More Than Afternoon Tea
Hedhikaa refers to the full category of Maldivian short eats, but the term also describes the social ritual surrounding them.
The spread at a typical hotaa cafe during hedhikaa time includes items that differ radically in texture and preparation method. Bajiya — crescent-shaped pastries resembling Indian samosas — are filled with shredded smoked tuna (valho mas), grated coconut, onion, curry leaves, green chili, and turmeric, then deep-fried until the thin dough turns golden and crisped. Gulha, small round dumplings made from rice flour or wheat flour, contain a similar tuna-coconut mix with added lime, but the rice flour dough fries to a noticeably lighter, more delicate crispness than the wheat-based bajiya shell. Some houses that make exceptionally tasty gulha gain celebrity status among locals, and it is not uncommon to find long queues of people waiting outside certain houses in the mornings and evenings.
Keemia, the Maldivian take on spring rolls, uses wrappers made from a batter of flour, egg, and water cooked into delicate sheets on a hot pan. The filling adds sliced hardboiled egg and sometimes cabbage to the spiced tuna base. Bis keemiyaa (“bis” meaning “egg” in Dhivehi) emphasises the egg component, with chopped cabbage, diced hardboiled egg, onion, pepper, chili, and lemon — most hotels add dried or smoked tuna to the mix. Both versions taste best served hot and crunchy immediately after deep-frying until golden brown.
The full hedhikaa guide on this site covers the timing and social context in more detail, but the key distinction for first-time visitors is this: hedhikaa items are not interchangeable. A kavaabu and a gulha may share tuna and coconut as ingredients, but their textures, cooking methods, and ideal eating temperatures differ significantly.
The Main Short Eats: Kavaabu, Masroshi, and Beyond
Two items deserve particular attention because they appear most often outside resort contexts and are frequently misunderstood.
Kavaabu: The Lentil Fritter That Travels Well
Kavaabu is a traditional snack originating from the Maldives, made with a combination of smoked tuna, onions, ginger, grated coconut, hot peppers, lime juice, rice, curry leaves, flour, turmeric, oil, and salt. The base is cooked lentils — often masoor dal — mixed with the tuna and spices, formed into small patties or balls, and fried until the exterior develops a dark, crunchy crust. Unlike most hedhikaa items, kavaabu can be served hot or cold without significant loss of quality, which makes it one of the most practical short eats for travellers who want to buy snacks in advance. It is also among the most affordable short eats available at hotaa cafes.
Masroshi and Riha Folhi: The Stuffed Doughs
Masroshi is a stuffed and fried dough made with flour, oil, warm water, and salt, filled with smoked tuna, grated coconut, hot peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, minced curry leaves, and lime. It is cooked until golden brown and can be served for breakfast or eaten in the afternoon or evening. Riha folhi is a traditional stuffed crepe, its batter made with flour, water, salt, and turmeric, stuffed with a simmered combination of smoked tuna, onions, curry powder, chili powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, garlic, coconut milk, lemon juice, pandan leaves, and salt. Riha folhi are rolled and served while still hot. Both items require immediate consumption — the dough stiffens noticeably within fifteen minutes of frying.
At hotaa cafes in Malé, masroshi and riha folhi are often rotated in and out of the display case throughout the afternoon. If you see a tray of riha folhi come out of the kitchen, order immediately — they sell out fastest because the crepe batter is prepared in smaller batches than the fried doughs.
The traditional roshi guide explains how these stuffed doughs relate to the everyday flatbread eaten at breakfast — both use similar flour bases but diverge in filling and cooking method.
Planning Your Hedhikaa Experience
Timing and location determine whether you encounter fresh, well-made short eats or reheated approximations.
When and Where to Find Fresh Short Eats
The 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. window is not negotiable for the best selection. Hotaa cafes in Malé stock their display cases with freshly prepared snacks during this period, and workplaces often observe a dedicated break for hedhikaa. Outside these hours, many cafes serve items that have been sitting under heat lamps for extended periods — the keemia loses its shatter, and the gulha turns greasy. During Ramadan, hedhikaa takes on special importance as the evening iftar meal that breaks the day’s fast, and the selection expands to include fuhjehi kavaabu, fritters made with canned tuna, Scotch Bonnet peppers, curry leaves, potatoes, and a batter of flour, eggs, baking powder, and turmeric.
At hotaa cafes in Malé’s main commercial streets, point to the item you want and say “thibaa kiyaa” (give me a few) — staff will wrap your selection in paper without assuming you want a full tray. Avoid asking for a mix unless you specify quantities, as the default assumption is one of each item.
Resort vs. Local: What Changes
Resorts occasionally feature hedhikaa as part of Maldivian-themed evenings or cooking classes, but the preparation differs in notable ways. In most hotels, a chicken bajiyaa is more expensive than the tuna version, and chicken bajiyaas are usually identified by a red-coloured mark on the pastry — a convention that does not exist in local hotaa cafes. The filling in resort versions often reduces or omits curry leaves and pandan, presumably to suit broader palates. The most popular snack foods in the Maldives — bajiyaa, gulha, and handulu gulha — are all available in both settings, but the local hotaa version will use more chili and less oil.
Resort hedhikaa platters often mix sweet and savoury items on the same plate. Boakibaa, a baked cake made from rice, grated coconut, sugar, and coconut milk (sometimes enriched with eggs and flavoured with cardamom or rosewater), absorbs moisture from adjacent fried items within minutes. If you order a platter, ask for the boakibaa to be served separately.
Cost and Portion Expectations
Kavaabu are among the most affordable short eats, typically priced at a few rufiyaa per piece at local cafes. Bajiya and gulha fall in a similar range. Resort prices multiply this by a factor of five to ten. The savoury version of boakibaa, called kulhi boakibaa, substitutes sugar for smoked tuna and spices, and both sweet and savoury versions keep well without refrigeration — useful if you want to buy snacks for a day trip to a nearby island rather than relying on resort meal times.
| Short Eat | Base | Best Eaten | Fridge Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kavaabu | Lentils + tuna | Hot or cold | No |
| Gulha | Rice/wheat flour | Warm, within 2 hours | No |
| Keemia | Egg-flour wrapper | Immediately after frying | No |
| Boakibaa | Rice + coconut milk | Room temperature | No |
| Riha folhi | Turmeric crepe | Hot, within 15 minutes | No |
On the Ground: Eating Hedhikaa Like a Local
The logistics of eating short eats in the Maldives involve more than just choosing what to order. Portion norms, eating customs, and the difference between tuna grades all affect the experience.
Tuna Grades and What They Mean
Most hedhikaa recipes call for valho mas — smoked tuna that has been cooked, shredded, and dried. This is not the same as the canned tuna used in fuhjehi kavaabu, nor is it the fresh tuna grilled at resort dinner buffets. Valho mas has a concentrated, almost jerky-like texture that holds up to deep-frying without turning mushy. The quality of the valho mas directly affects the final product: poorly smoked tuna introduces a bitter, acrid note that no amount of coconut or chili can mask. The diversity of Maldivian fish dishes extends well beyond tuna, but for short eats, tuna is the default — and the grade matters more than the species.
Eating Without a Plate
At hotaa cafes, short eats are typically wrapped in paper or served on a small tray without utensils. The gulha and bajiya are finger foods — you eat them by hand, dipping into a shared bowl of garudhiya (the Maldivian national soup made from tuna stock) if available. The art of garudhiya is its own topic, but in the context of hedhikaa, the soup serves as a dipping liquid that cuts through the oil of fried items. Expect to see locals dipping kavaabu directly into the soup and eating it in two bites.
What to Avoid
Short eats displayed without any cover on the counter — common at some small shops in Malé — have likely been sitting out for hours. The keemia wrapper will have softened, the gulha surface will feel tacky, and the oil will have soaked through the paper wrapping. A fresh batch has visible steam rising when unwrapped, and the kavaabu should produce an audible crack when broken in half. If the display case has a heat lamp, the items are probably being kept warm rather than freshly cooked — acceptable for kavaabu but not for keemia or riha folhi.
- Visit a hotaa cafe in Malé between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. for the freshest selection — this is hedhikaa time, when cafes restock their display cases.
- Kavaabu is the most travel-friendly short eat: it holds up at room temperature for hours and costs less than most other items.
- Resort versions of hedhikaa use less chili and often substitute cheaper tuna grades — the local version is spicier and smokier.
- Order specific items by name and quantity rather than asking for a mixed platter, or you may end up with items that don’t travel well together.
Kavaabu and Beyond: Visitor Questions
What is the most popular hedhikaa snack in the Maldives?
Bajiya — crescent-shaped fried pastries filled with smoked tuna, coconut, onion, and chili — is arguably the most popular hedhikaa item. It resembles a samosa but uses a thinner, more delicate dough.
Gulha runs a close second and is sometimes called the national snack. The rice flour version, handulu gulha, has a lighter texture that some locals prefer, but it is less commonly found outside Malé.
Can I find vegetarian short eats in the Maldives?
Most hedhikaa items contain tuna or dried fish. The sweet version of boakibaa, made with rice, coconut, sugar, and cardamom, is vegetarian. Kavaabu without tuna exists in some home kitchens, but it is not a standard hotaa offering.
If you ask for mas vasha (without fish) at a local cafe, staff will likely look confused — the concept of a fish-free short eat is not part of the tradition. Resorts are more accommodating but may use chicken stock in the batter.
Is hedhikaa served at breakfast in the Maldives?
Some items, like masroshi and riha folhi, are served for breakfast in local households, but the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. window is when most hotaa cafes stock their full range. Maldivian breakfasts typically centre on roshi flatbread, mas huni (shredded tuna with coconut and onion), and tea — not fried short eats.
During Ramadan, however, fuhjehi kavaabu and other fried items appear at iftar alongside the usual breakfast staples, blurring the line between meal categories.
Why does my gulha taste different from one cafe to another?
The dough recipe varies by cafe. Rice flour gulha fries lighter and crisper, while wheat flour versions are denser and chewier. The filling also varies in chili content and whether lime or lemon is used.
Some houses that make exceptionally tasty gulha have achieved local celebrity status, with regulars queuing outside in the mornings and evenings. The variation is intentional — there is no single standard recipe.
What is the difference between bajiya and a samosa?
Both are fried, filled pastries, but bajiya uses a thinner dough that is hand-crimped into a crescent shape rather than a triangle. The filling is exclusively tuna-based, never potato or pea.
The dough for bajiya is also less oily than standard samosa pastry, which gives it a lighter, more shattering texture when fresh. The turmeric in the filling gives bajiya a yellow tint that samosas lack.
Beyond the Fried Display Case
Hedhikaa is not a single dish or a resort-themed dinner event — it is a daily rhythm tied to the hours between lunch and sunset, shaped by the quality of smoked tuna and the judgment of the person frying it. The difference between a good kavaabu and an exceptional one is not the recipe but the cook’s willingness to let the lentils fully break down before forming the patties, and the timing of the second fry to develop that dark, crunchy exterior. Savoring the flavors of the Maldives means starting at the hotaa counter, not the resort buffet — and accepting that some of the best short eats will never appear on a printed menu.
Sources and further reading
Hedhikaa: Maldivian short eats and snacks. Maldives Compass.
Scrumptious Maldivian bites: 3 short eats to try in Maldives. Travel Trade Maldives.
Top 6 Maldivian snacks. TasteAtlas.
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