CookingTimor-Leste

Recipe: Barbecued fish with katupa rice
parcels and chilli pickle
Barbecued fish and katupa (rice cooked in small, woven palm-leaf parcels) is the most
common meal available to buy when travelling along coastal roads in Timor-Leste.
And it would not be complete (or as delicious) without the addition of Timorese aimanas
or chilli pickle!
Barbecued fish
Fish and katupa stalls in Timor-Leste sell
a variety of fish depending on availability,
including fusiliers (Caesionidae family),
mackerel scads (Decapterus spp.), small
mackerels (Rastrelliger spp.) and various
reef fish like unicornfish and surgeonfish
(Acanthuridae family). In some
locations, smaller fish like halfbeaks
(Hemiramphidae family) and sardines
(Sardinella spp.) are also popular.
This recipe was shared by Rosa de
Cunha, who owns a fish and katupa stall
in Behau.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 medium fish
1 teaspoon salt
4 chillies
Method
1. Make a fire to create hot coals.
2. Scale, gut and wash the fish. Cut part-way
through the flesh in several places (to
reduce cooking time).
3. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Wash the chillies, and peel the garlic and
turmeric. Crush together to form a paste,
add pepper and mix with oil.
5. Grill the fish on a wire rack suspended
above the hot coals. Alternatively, insert a
skewer through the fish lengthways and
rest above the coals on supports.
6. Turn the fish to grill both sides. Once
browned and almost cooked, brush each
side with seasoning oil.
7. Grill for a further 1–2 minutes, then
remove from the heat and serve.
4 cloves garlic
1 small piece (1–2 cm long) turmeric
½ teaspoon
pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Cooking fish and seafood in Timor - Leste 55