Witzard Foodiemyst

Fish marinated with spices (like garlic, turmeric, chili) wrapped in banana leaves and steamed or grilled.

Ikan Pepes

📌Ingredients

        ●1 whole fish 
            (snapper or mackerel)
        ●3 garlic cloves
        ●4 shallots
        ●1 red chili
        ●1 tsp turmeric
        ●Salt & pepper
        ●Banana leaves

Recipe

📝1. Blend garlic, shallots, chili, turmeric, salt, and pepper into a paste.
📝2. Rub the paste on the cleaned fish.
📝3. Wrap the fish in banana leaves and secure with toothpicks or string.
📝4. Steam for 30 minutes or grill for 15-20 minutes until cooked.

A vegetarian stew made from corn, mung beans, and pumpkin or squash.

Batar Daan

📌Ingredients

        ●1 cup corn kernels
        ●1 cup diced pumpkin or squash
        ●½ cup mung beans (boiled)
        ●1 onion (chopped)
        ●2 garlic cloves
        ●2 cups water or vegetable broth
        ●Salt to taste

Recipe

📝1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil.
📝2. Add corn, pumpkin, and boiled mung beans.
📝3. Pour in water or broth and simmer until pumpkin is soft.
📝4. Season with salt and serve hot.

A Timorese-style curry made with vegetables and meat or seafood, influenced by Portuguese cuisine.

Caril

📌Ingredients

        ●500g chicken or fish
        ●1 onion (chopped)
        ●2 garlic cloves
        ●1 tsp curry powder
        ●1 cup coconut milk
        ●1 potato (cubed)
        ●Salt, chili to taste

Recipe

📝1. Sauté onion and garlic until soft.
📝2. Add meat or fish and brown.
📝3. Stir in curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
📝4. Add potatoes and coconut milk.Simmer until tender.
📝5. Add salt and chili to taste.

A hearty bean stew, usually with beef or pork. Derived from Portuguese Feijoada.

Feijoada Timorense

📌Ingredients

        ●2 cups black or red beans 
            (soaked overnight)
        ●300g beef or pork (cubed)
        ●1 onion
        ●2 garlic cloves
        ●1 tomato
        ●Bay leaf
        ●Salt and pepper

Recipe

📝1. Boil beans until nearly soft.
📝2. In another pot, sauté onion, garlic, tomato, and bay leaf.
📝3. Add meat and cook until browned.
📝4. Combine meat mixture with beans and simmer until tender.
📝5. Season and serve hot with rice.

Ikan Sabuko is a traditional Timor-Leste dish made with grilled mackerel marinated in a tangy tamarind paste. It features a rich mix of garlic, chili, shallots, lime juice, and basil leaves, often wrapped in banana leaves and grilled for a smoky flavor.

Ikan Sabuko

📌Ingredients

        ●1 whole mackerel fish (cleaned)
        ●1 handful of basil leaves
        ●3 cloves of garlic (minced)
        ●2 shallots (sliced)
        ●2-3 red chilies (sliced)
        ●1 tablespoon tamarind paste
        ●1 tablespoon lime juice
        ●Salt - to taste
        ●Banana leaves(or aluminum foil)
            -for wrapping

Recipe

📝1. In a bowl, mix tamarind paste, garlic, shallots, chilies, lime juice, and salt into a thick marinade paste.
📝2. Rub the marinade all over and inside the fish.
📝3. Stuff basil leaves into the fish cavity.
📝4. Wrap the marinated fish in banana leaves (or foil).
📝5. Grill the fish over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side until fully cooked and aromatic.
📝6. Unwrap and serve hot with rice and vegetables.

Fermented rice or cassava, sweet and slightly sour, often eaten as a dessert or snack.

Tapai

📌Ingredients

        ●2 cups cooked sticky rice or 
            boiled cassava
        ●1 tablet ragi 
            (fermentation starter)
        ●Banana leaves (for wrapping)

Recipe

📝1. Cool down the cooked rice/cassava.
📝2. Crush ragi tablet and sprinkle over.
📝3. Mix gently, wrap in banana leaves or put in a container.
📝4. Let ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days.
📝5. Eat as sweet, tangy dessert or snack.

Pastel de Nata is a crispy, flaky tart filled with rich, creamy egg custard and baked until golden and slightly caramelized on top. In Timor-Leste, it's a popular dessert and snack, reflecting the country's Portuguese heritage.

Pastel de Nata

📌Ingredients

        For the custard filling:
         ●250 ml milk
         ●150 ml heavy cream
         ●2 tbsp all-purpose flour
         ●150 g sugar
         ●1 tsp vanilla extract
         ●Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
         ●4 egg yolks
          
        For the tart shell:
         ●1 sheet puff pastry
            (store-bought or homemade)

Recipe

📝1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
📝2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into small circles to fit into a muffin or tart tray. Press the pastry into each cup.
📝3. In a saucepan, mix flour and a bit of milk to make a smooth paste.
📝4. Add remaining milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Heat gently, stirring until thick.
📝5. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks (slowly, so they don't scramble).
📝6. Pour the custard into the prepared tart shells (fill ¾ full).
📝7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are slightly blistered and golden.
📝8. Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Rice packed and cooked inside woven palm leaves — firm and sliceable.

Katupa

📌Ingredients

        ●1 cup uncooked rice
        ●Woven palm leaf pouches 
            (or banana leaves)

Recipe

📝1. Fill the pouches halfway with rice (it expands).
📝2. Boil the filled pouches in water for 2-3 hours.
📝3. Let cool, then cut open and slice into cubes.
📝4. Serve with curry or grilled dishes.