Taste the Maldives: A Local’s Guide to the Best Hedhikaa Cafes

On a late afternoon in Maafushi, the scent of frying batter drifts from a small hota near the jetty. Inside, the cook drops spoonfuls of spiced tuna mixture into hot oil, and within seconds they emerge as golden, bite-sized dumplings — gulha, the cornerstone of Maldivian hedhikaa. These short eats, typically enjoyed with afternoon tea, cost roughly $0.20–$0.70 USD a piece. That price makes them one of the most accessible ways to eat like a local in the Maldives, yet most resort visitors never taste them.

What follows is a tour through the five hedhikaa you’re most likely to find in local cafes across Maafushi, Hulhumalé, and Malé — what’s in them, where to try them, and how to order like someone who’s been doing it for years.

Gulha — The Classic Bite-Sized Dumpling

Gulha is the hedhikaa you’ll see first at any local cafe — a deep-fried, bite-sized dumpling stuffed with a mixture of tuna, grated coconut, and chili. The exterior is crisp, the filling is moist and gently spiced, and the whole thing disappears in two bites. On Maafushi, you’ll find them at Hot Bite Restaurant & Café, where they arrive fresh from the fryer alongside a pot of sweet Maldivian tea.

The beauty of gulha is its portability. You can order a few pieces, eat them standing at the counter, and move on. A full day’s meals on a local island can come in under $17 USD, and gulha is a big reason why — three or four pieces cost less than a single resort coffee.

Bajiya — The Maldivian Samosa

Bajiya is the triangular cousin of gulha — a fried pastry stuffed with spicy fish, grated coconut, and onions, shaped into a neat triangle that resembles a samosa. The filling is drier and more concentrated than gulha, with a heat that builds slowly rather than hitting all at once.

Family-run cafes on Maafushi and Fulidhoo are the best places to try bajiya fresh. On Fulidhoo especially, the grandmothers who run the kitchens often make them in small batches each morning, and they sell out before lunch. A plate of two or three bajiya with a glass of sai — the strong, milky, sweet Maldivian tea — runs about $2–$4 USD.

Kulhi Boakibaa — The Dense Fish Cake

Kulhi boakibaa is the heartiest of the hedhikaa — a baked fish cake made from smoked tuna, rice, onions, garlic, ginger, chilies, and coconut. It’s dense and savoury, more like a sliceable loaf than a pastry, and it holds up well for hours after baking. Unlike the fried snacks, kulhi boakibaa is oven-baked, which gives it a firmer texture and a deeper, smokier flavour from the cured tuna.

In Malé, you’ll find kulhi boakibaa at Sea House Café and The Goatfish Café & Bistro, where it’s often served as part of a mixed hedhikaa platter. Sea House Café also does seafood and Asian mains for $8–$15 USD, but the real draw is the short-eats selection — especially the kulhi boakibaa, which tends to be the first thing to disappear from the counter.

Masroshi — Stuffed Flatbread

Masroshi is a stuffed flatbread — the dough is rolled thin, filled with smoked tuna and coconut spiced with curry leaves, onions, garlic, ginger, and chili, then folded and griddled until golden. It’s closer to a meal than a snack, especially when served with a side of lime and chili. The texture is chewy and crisp in equal measure, and the curry-leaf aroma sets it apart from the other fried hedhikaa.

In Hulhumalé, Cafe’ier Hulhumalé serves masroshi alongside breakfast plates and steaks, while Red Snappers & Coffee Beans does a seafood-focused version. Both spots are within walking distance of the main guesthouse strip, making them easy stops for anyone staying overnight on the island.

Bis Keemiya — The Tuna and Egg Pastry

Bis keemiya is the Maldivian take on a spring roll or samosa — a crisp pastry wrapper filled with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, sliced onion, and shredded cabbage. The egg adds a richness that the other hedhikaa don’t have, and the cabbage gives it a slight crunch that contrasts with the soft tuna filling. It’s less spicy than bajiya or gulha, which makes it a good entry point for anyone new to Maldivian short eats.

You’ll find bis keemiya at most local eateries in Malé, including Symphony and Royal Garden Cafe, as well as in the Local Market behind the fishing harbour, where fresh tuna is prepared minutes off the boat. The market version tends to be the most direct — no frills, just a freshly fried pastry with the day’s catch inside.

Where to Find Hedhikaa Cafes

Hedhikaa cafes aren’t hard to find once you know which islands to head to. Maafushi has the highest concentration of local eateries (hotaas) and guesthouses, with Hot Bite Restaurant & Café as a reliable starting point for both hedhikaa and mains like garudhiya and tuna burgers, priced $5–$10 USD. Hulhumalé offers a slightly more polished cafe scene with Cafe’ier Hulhumalé and Red Snappers & Coffee Beans, both within easy reach of the airport. Malé has the widest range — Sea House Café, The Goatfish Café & Bistro, Symphony, Royal Garden Cafe, and Lemongrass all serve hedhikaa alongside larger plates.

One logistical note: alcohol is not available on local islands or in Malé, so the hedhikaa experience is strictly tea-and-juice territory. That’s true to the tradition anyway — these snacks were designed for afternoon sai, not beer. If you’re staying at a resort, some properties can arrange excursions to local islands for cafe dining, and a few include it in their cultural programming.

Before You Go — Hedhikaa in the Maldives

Are hedhikaa spicy?

Chilies are central to most recipes, but cafes will moderate the heat on request. Bajiya and gulha have a mild warmth; kulhi boakibaa is more savoury than hot.

Can vegetarians find hedhikaa?

Most hedhikaa are tuna-based, but vegetable curries (tharukaaree riha) and lentil soups (mugu riha) are common at local cafes. Baraboa mashuni — mashed pumpkin instead of tuna — is a vegan-friendly option.

What’s the etiquette for eating at a local cafe?

Eat with your right hand if invited to a family meal. Wait for the host to start before eating. Accept food and tea when offered — refusing repeatedly can be read as rude. Avoid eating or drinking in public during Ramadan.

Is gluten-free possible?

Roshi flatbread is wheat-based, so gluten-free diners face challenges at small cafes. Rice is a staple, and most resorts handle gluten-free requests easily — but at local hotaas, options are limited.

Can resort guests visit hedhikaa cafes?

Yes — some resorts arrange excursions to local islands for family-cafe dining. It’s worth asking at your resort’s concierge desk, especially at properties that include cultural programming.

Eating Like a Local

Back on that Maafushi jetty, the gulha are still coming out of the oil, and the cook is pouring another round of sweet milky tea. The whole scene costs less than a single cocktail at a resort swim-up bar, and it tells you more about the Maldives than any overwater villa tour. That’s the real trade-off — not luxury versus roughing it, but knowing what you’re actually tasting when you bite into a piece of hedhikaa. For a deeper dive into the afternoon tea tradition that surrounds these snacks, browse our dedicated hedhikaa guide.

References

aMaldives. “Maldives Local Food Guide 2026.” aMaldives.com. ↗

Island Resorts Maldives. “Maldives Food Guide.” islandresortsmaldives.com. ↗

If you’re planning a food-focused trip, our hidden culinary scene guide maps out more off-the-resort-path dining across the atolls, and the garudhiya guide covers the clear fish broth that often follows a round of hedhikaa. For travellers looking to stay where the food is, the guesthouse guide highlights islands with the strongest cafe scenes.