Whatever you call it, this week’s recipe is a delicious and slightly unconventional curry, said to originate from Laamu Atoll. Making it was an adventure in itself!  

Our research uncovered different methods and ingredient variations, but thankfully, a friend from Laamu shared his “mum’s version,” guiding us through the chaos with his stories.  

Here’s our take on Golha Riha—a recipe that takes time but promises to be well worth the effort. To make things easier, we’ve divided the process into sections since there’s quite a bit to do.  

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Serves: 3–4  

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Making the Fish Balls 

Ingredients: 
- ½ medium onion  
- 1 garlic clove  
- 3 curry leaves  
- ¼ tsp. black peppercorns (adjust to taste)  
- ½ tsp. whole cumin seeds  
- 2 tbsp. grated coconut  
- 5 dried red chilies (adjust to taste)  
- 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)  
- 2 tsp. water  
- 1 ⅔ cups ground reef fish  

Instructions: 
1. Roughly slice the onion and garlic.  
2. Add the onion, garlic, curry leaves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coconut, red chilies, salt, and water to a grinder. Blend into a smooth paste. Add a little more water if necessary.  
3. In a bowl, mix the spice paste with the ground reef fish using your hands. *(If you’re wondering how to prepare ground reef fish, simply chop, remove bones, and grind in a food processor.)*  
4. Roll the mixture into small balls, about ½ inch in diameter, until you’ve used up all the mixture.  

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Making the Spice Paste

Ingredients: 
- 1 medium onion  
- 1 garlic clove  
- 10 curry leaves  
- 3 tbsp. whole coriander seeds  
- 1 ½ tbsp. whole fennel seeds  
- 1 tbsp. whole cumin seeds  
- ½ tsp. black peppercorns (adjust to taste)  
- ⅓ cup grated coconut  
- 5 dried red chilies (adjust to taste)  
- 1 ½-inch cinnamon stick  
- 3 cardamom pods  
- 3-inch piece of raanbaa  

Instructions
1. Slice the onion into large pieces, as it will be toasted with the spices.  
2. In a large pan, toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, grated coconut, curry leaves, garlic, raanbaa, red chilies, cinnamon, sliced onion, and cardamom seeds over medium heat. Stir often.  
3. Toast until the grated coconut turns lightly brown.  
4. Let the mixture cool slightly, then add 5 tbsp. water and grind into a smooth paste.  

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Making the Curry

Ingredients
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced  
- 8 curry leaves  
- 3-inch piece of raanbaa  
- ¼ githeyo mirus (adjust to taste)  
- 1 ½ tbsp. oil  
- 1 ½ cups thin coconut milk  
- 4 tbsp. thick coconut milk  
- 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)  

Instructions
1. Heat oil in a pot. Add the onion, raanbaa, githeyo mirus, and curry leaves. Sauté until the onion softens and turns slightly brown.  
2. Add the prepared spice paste and thin coconut milk. Stir well and cook until the mixture starts bubbling.  
3. Add the fish balls and salt. Stir gently to combine, then cook on low to medium heat for 10–15 minutes.  
4. Finally, add the thick coconut milk. Stir and cook for another 2–3 minutes.  
5. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  

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Enjoy your flavorful and aromatic Golha Riha—a true labor of love! 🌴