Havaadhulee Bis (with Real Thai Coconut Milk)
Havaadhulee Bis takes time and runs through a fair few steps, so it can be daunting the first time — but the result more than repays the effort. This is a revised version of a recipe first published years ago, with the steps simplified and the flavours adjusted. We make it with Real Thai Coconut Milk, part of the Real Thai range we distribute. It is 100% fresh coconut milk with no concentrate, equally at home in curries, sweets and drinks.
Ingredients List
- For the filling
- 1 thinly sliced small onion
- 3 thinly sliced curry leaves
- 2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
- ½ tsp minced scotch bonnet (or to taste)
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 1 can tuna in oil (drained)
- Making the dough
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tbsp oil
- 10 tbsp hot water
- Cooking the bis
- 5 cups water
- ½ tbsp oil
- For the curry sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 thinly sliced medium-sized onion
- 10 curry leaves
- 3 -inch piece of pandan leaf
- ½ of a scotch bonnet (largely chopped)
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Step-by-Step Method
- 1
Firstly, prepare the filling. Into a bowl, add 1 thinly sliced small onion, 3 thinly sliced curry leaves, 2 tsp lime juice, ½ tsp minced scotch bonnet, ½ tsp grated ginger, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp ground black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Using your fingers squash and mix them together until the onion becomes soft and releases its juices.
- 2
Add ½ cup grated coconut and mix well again. Lastly, add 1 can of tuna in oil (drained) and give a final mix with your hand, until the tuna is fully crumbled and mixed in.
- 3
Divide the mixture into 20 equally sized portions, and using your hands, roll them into balls. If the filling feels really juicy, you might want to squeeze some of the liquid out when making the balls as this will make it easier for you to stuff them into the dough later.
- 4
Now to make the dough. Add 1 ¼ cup flour and ½ tsp salt into a bowl and mix to combine. Then add ¾ tbsp oil and mix again.
- 5
Add 10 tbsp hot water gradually, a couple of tablespoons at a time, while mixing. At this stage you will have to use your hand so that you can tell when the dough feels right. When it’s right, it shouldn’t be sticking to your hand and it shouldn’t be too dry either. Rather, it should feel a bit soft and elastic and easy to handle, like a Roshi dough.
- 6
Divide the dough into 20 equally sized portions and roll them into balls.
- 7
Take a dough ball and flatten it out using your fingers. Hold the flattened piece of dough with one hand and place a ball of filling on top of it. Close the dough so that it would completely enclose the filling, and using your hands, gently roll it into an egg shape.
- 8
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. When the water begins to boil, gently place the stuffed bis inside the pot. Add ½ tbsp oil; this will prevent the bis from sticking to one another. Turn the heat to medium and let it cook for 15 minutes. The bis will float to the top as they cook. Remove the bis from the water gently by using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate.
- 9
Now, prepare the curry sauce. In a large frying pan, heat up 2 tbsp oil and once heated, add 1 thinly sliced medium-sized onion, 10 curry leaves, 3-inch piece of pandan leaf and ½ of a scotch bonnet (largely chopped). Stir and cook until the onions soften and begin to take on a brownish colour (this will take around 4 to 5 minutes), and then add 1 tsp grated garlic. Mix well and cook for another minute on low heat.
- 10
Add 2 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder (or to taste). Stir and cook for another minute, until the spices release their aromas.
- 11
Add 2 tbsp tomato paste, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add in ½ cup Real Thai Coconut Milk and ½ tsp salt and stir to combine. Cook the mixture for another minute on medium until it bubbles.
- 12
Finally, add the cooked bis into the sauce and gently roll them around in the curry sauce to get them coated evenly. Let the bis cook in the sauce for another minute. Now they are ready to serve.
