What proper technique for MAUI to use API for Login - authentication

Question

I have a Blazor Server web application that uses Identity(DbContext, ApplicationUser) to login and register users.
I am creating a .Net Core 7.0 Web API to handle the login and database interactions for a MAUI Blazor hybrid mobile app that will use the same SQL database and Identity login.
The API is hosted on Azure App Service.
My question is how do I make the MAUI app secure and use Identity and the api to login?
This is the API Code. This is a minimal API and does not use controllers
public static async Task<IResult> LoginUser(UserLoginModel user, SignInManager<ApplicationUser> signInManager)
{
if (signInManager != null)
{
try
{
var result = await signInManager.PasswordSignInAsync(user.Email, user.Password, user.RememberMe, lockoutOnFailure: true);
if (result.Succeeded)
{
return Results.Ok(result);
}
if (result.IsLockedOut)
{
return Results.Unauthorized();
}
else
{
return Results.Problem("Invalid Login");
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return Results.Problem(ex.Message);
}
}
else
return Results.Problem("sign in is null");
}
This is the API endpoint
app.MapPost(pattern: "Users/Login/{userloginnmodel}",
Login.LoginUser);
UserLoginModel is a simple email password and rememberme
public class UserLoginModel
{
public string Email { get; set; }
public string Password { get; set; }
public bool RememberMe { get; set; }
}
Swagger test passes if I enter login and password. The API returns Success is valid login.
Next..here is the login for the MAUI app
public class UserData : IUserData
{
public async Task<HttpResponseMessage> Login(UserLoginModel userloginmodel)
{
try
{
using (var httpClient = new HttpClient())
{
using (var request = new HttpRequestMessage(new HttpMethod("POST"), "https://..../Users/Login/{userloginmodel}"))
{
request.Headers.TryAddWithoutValidation("accept", "*/*");
request.Content = new StringContent(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(userloginmodel), Encoding.UTF8);
request.Content.Headers.ContentType = MediaTypeHeaderValue.Parse("application/json");
var response = await httpClient.SendAsync(request);
return response;
}
}
}
catch
{
return new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.InternalServerError);
}
}
}
The MAUI mobile app return a InternalServerError when I try to login from the app. Please note that the other endpoints work ok with the MAUI app and only the login is giving the error