The Gabulhi Boakibaa is a traditional Maldivian baked dessert made with gabulhi (young coconut), flour, sugar, and maafen (jasmine water).
I used rice flour for a gluten-free version.
There are different types of Maldivian Boakibaa – cakes – both savory and sweet, which you can discover in this article.
This coconut-based version is very similar to another Maldivian dessert: huni hakuru which means “chopped coconut sugar” in the Dhivehi language, also made with gabulhi used to prepare the Eid kunbus, another type of boakibaa prepared exclusively for ‘Eid celebrations.
The Maldives was my first big trip back in February 2001, the first with Stefano, and the one that has remained closest to my heart.
Even now, after years and many other trips, no other beach destination has been able to match its charm, beauty, and relaxation…
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5 oz coconut (grated quantity)
- 3.5 oz rice flour
- 3.5 oz coconut sugar
- as needed jasmine water (or rose water)
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan 8.5 or 10 inches
Steps
Grate the coconut (including its juice), and combine with the flour, sugar, and jasmine water.
If coconut is unavailable, you can use desiccated coconut, but in this case, being drier, coconut milk should be added to the mixture.
Spread in a 8.5/10 inch baking pan and bake in the oven at 392°F for 30 minutes.
Maldives – February 2001 – Valtur Mahureva Village – North Malé Atoll
Maldives – February 2001 – Valtur Mahureva Village – North Malé Atoll
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How is Huni Hakuru prepared?
Cook the gabulhi (young coconut) grated with sugar and/or dhiyaa hakuru (coconut honey) slowly over low heat until it caramelizes and turns into a sticky, sweet paste.
Add maafen (jasmine water), cardamom, and cinnamon powder.
The color of this paste can change from white to light or dark brown, depending on what is added and how it is cooked.
The most famous dish made with this mixture is huni hakuru folhi, a sweet dish similar to a ravioli made with huni hakuru as a filling.
Traditionally, the dough for the huni hakuru folhi was made with finely ground rice mixed with water to form a dough.
A thin layer of dough is placed on top of a carefully washed and dried dhigaa (sea hibiscus) leaf that provides a cover for the delicate dough.
The huni hakuru filling is then inserted inside the folded dough, sealed, and steamed.
Over the years, the preparation of huni hakuru folhi has undergone considerable evolution.
Nowadays, simple white flour could be used for the dough instead of rice flour.
Although each version gives a different texture to the folhi – crunchy, crispy, soft – the huni hakuru filling remains the same.
